TYRE SAFETY
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‘Tyre Extinguishers’ deflate 100s of SUV tyres across 13 UK locations
The Tyre ExtinguishersA campaign group made up of anonymous climate change activists reports that it has deflated the tyres of hundreds of SUVs across more than 13 locations in the UK. The group, which calls itself “The Tyre Extinguishers” claims that it “disarmed” SUVs in Chelsea, Chiswick, Harley Street, Hampstead Heath, Notting Hill, Belgravia, Clapham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Sheffield, Liverpool and Edinburgh on the evening of 7 March 2022. However, it is less clear whether they considered the safety and indeed environment implications of such vehicles driving on underinflated tyres.
Drivers lack basic safety knowledge – Halfords survey
HalfordsHalfords’ Tyre Safety video game, 20,000 Miles in Two Minutes, launched in October for tyre safety month, was aimed to test driver’s knowledge and raise awareness around tyre safety standards. As of today, the game has been played over 7,000 times, revealing that many drivers lacked basic safety knowledge.
Jan KoprivaTyreSafe: UK motorists ‘waste £0.6-1 billion’ due to tyre underinflation
TyreSafe has calculated that UK motorists waste more than £600 million worth of fuel due to tyre underinflation. Using data from Michelin’s Fill Up With Air survey showing that 57 per cent of vehicles are driven on underinflated tyres, as well as information sourced from the Department for Transport and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, TyreSafe is tying the economic argument for ensuring tyres are correctly inflated alongside safety concerns for this year’s Tyre Safety Month. Referring both to the general awareness of tyres as a vital safety component and rhetorically to question why drivers would not check their tyres at least once a month, his year’s October campaign asks Britain’s motorists directly: “What’s Stopping You?”
Tyre Safety Month: What’s stopping you?
October is Tyre Safety Month, and for this year’s annual campaign, TyreSafe is asking Britain’s motorists What’s Stopping You? To educate drivers on the importance and benefits of tyre safety, the association has developed what it calls “impactful, and realistic depictions of scenarios involving families, loved ones and young drivers.” It says these will “resonate with a range of audiences and highlight the potential stakes of driving on defective tyres.”
Domestic holiday popularity prompts TyreSafe message
Uncertainty about the safety and logistics of foreign travel means more holidaymakers will drive to other parts of the UK. YouGov data shows 47 per cent of British holidaymakers are planning to visit another part of the country in 2021, with many relying on their vehicle to get them to their destination. This rise in longer car journeys has prompted TyreSafe to remind drivers that there are more tyre-related incidents on the roads in summer than at any other time of the year.
20% of motorway breakdowns caused by tyres – Highways England
Highways EnglandOnly one in six drivers remembered to check their tyre pressure before setting off on a long journey, according to research commissioned by Highways England. Yet one in five motorway breakdowns are caused by worn or incorrectly inflated tyres and nearly a third of drivers confessed that they’re not confident checking tyre pressure.
Some horseboxes still driving on 10-year-old tyres – DVSA
Wikimedia; Barnet Engineer; CC-SA 3.0On 1 February 2021, new legislation banning tyres aged over 10 years on the front steered axles of lorries, buses and coaches along with all single wheels of minibuses (9-16 passengers seats) came into force. The ban also includes horseboxes over 3.5 tonnes.
Kwik-Fit report shows cost of pothole damage rises despite huge drop in mileage
New research released today (31 March) reveals that the impact of the pandemic has resulted in the average driver reducing their mileage by 42 per cent over the last year. However, there has not been an equivalent drop in the amount of pothole damage to the nation’s vehicles.
TyreSafe: Don’t ignore tyres during lockdown
Driving safety charity TyreSafe has given drivers a timely reminder to spare a thought for their vehicles’ tyres in the days and weeks before lockdown ends. Many vehicles won’t have been used much since Christmas and most of those that have are likely to have only been used for short trips. While it’s tempting to put maintenance checks on hold, TyreSafe is advising drivers to check their vehicle’s tyres during lockdown to potentially save themselves money in the long run and reduce the risk of a tyre-related incident when they do return to the roads.
1 in 3 parents ‘putting kids at risk on dangerous tyres’ – Protyre survey
ProtyreA new YouGov survey commissioned by Protyre suggests that over 30 per cent of parents could be using dangerous tyres to ferry around their children. The online survey marks this year’s Tyre Safety Month campaign from TyreSafe and its members. Simon Hiorns, Protyre retail director, said that the findings “raise concerns about how much the public are taking on board the importance of tyre safety.” He added that the company wants to “remind parents and motorists generally that tyre safety is just as important as things like seat belts and child car seats.” Protyre also revealed that the proportion of tyres demounted at its branches below the legal tread depth continues to be above 50 per cent. This, it states, shows that the need for tyre professionals to communicate the importance of checking tyre safety remains high.
‘Time to end MOT extension’ – IGA
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) is urging the Government to remove the six-month MOT extension with immediate effect, following the Prime Minister’s announcement that further social distancing measures will be relaxed from 4 July.
Government consulting on ending MOT extension, NTDA calls for immediate car test restart
(Photo: Malte luk; Pexels)Following the news that the DVSA will restart heavy vehicle testing from 4 July 2020, Tyres & Accessories understands that the government Department for Transport (DfT) is consulting on ending the rolling MOT extension initiated at the start of lockdown in March 2020. While DVSA published a statement on 19 June 2020 relating to restarting HGV tests, DfT has not yet answered T&A’s car MOT-related questions on the subject.
However, when we approached the National Tyre Distributors Association for a tyre industry perspective on the reports, the NTDA gave is full support to proposals to end the current temporary car MOT extension currently being given to the expiry dates of MOT tests as they become due. Specifically, the NTDA called for government to “restart with immediate effect” the normal MOT process.
