Accidents Happen When We Are Tyred Out

Millions of motorists fail to check their tyres, according to a study by the RAC Foundation.

Research by the RAC Foundation revealed that up to three million UK motorists admit to not checking the age and condition of their tyres - which could lead to road accidents and an increase in the cost of motor insurance bills.

While nine out of ten drivers are aware of the link between tyre age and road safety, drivers of low-mileage cars need to understand the danger of tyre fatigue, according to the foundation.

Spare tyres are also at risk of deterioration, so motorists need to monitor how roadworthy they are on a regular basis, the organisation said. Tyres that have been kept for more than six years should be discarded due to possible degradation.
A representative of the RAC Foundation, said: "Modern tyres are very robust and failure-resistant, but older tyres that have been stored incorrectly or simply not used for many years can become unfit for purpose through the passage of time alone."
Drivers need be aware too that even though the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, in the rain anything less than 3mm can affect performance.

There are also cost benefits in keeping your tyres at the right pressure. Tyres that are not inflated to the correct pressure can have a significant negative impact on the overall driving performance of the vehicle as well as being a potential hazard. Fuel efficiency can be affected by as much as ten percent caused by extra resistance with the road.

According to the EU 20-30% of all fuel used by cars is to overcome the rolling resistance of tyres. The EU is currently discussing measures to add extra information to tyre walls indicating fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise characteristics.
The Highway Code advises that tyres be checked on a weekly basis. This should be done when tyres are cold.

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