Car vlogger Tim joins tyre safety campaign
AGARAGE in Southport has joined forces with one of the world’s most famous online motoring personalities to raise awareness of the importance of safe tyres.
YouTube, Instagram and Facebook sensation Tim Burton, or Shmee150 as he is known to his millions of followers, has joined Protyre Southport, based in Scarisbrick New Road, Southport, to demonstrate why worn tyres are dangerous and a risk not worth taking.
The partnership coincided with Tyre Safety Month during October.
In a test organised by Protyre and filmed by Shmee150 for his YouTube channel, the motoring enthusiast found out first-hand the effect worn tyres have on a car’s ability to stop and steer effectively, and why budget tyres are seldom the bargain they appear to be.
Tim said: “I was shocked to learn that as many as one in four tyres in use on our roads are already at or below the legal limit, so when Protyre invited me to come and find out what this means in practice I jumped at the opportunity.
“I spent a day with the team trying different tyres back to back and was amazed at the difference in how they perform.
“Put simply, even at just 30mph, the just-legal tyres took an extra two car lengths to stop.
“It’s a frightening realisation and I’d encourage everyone to check their tyres are in good condition before winter sets in.”
The garage was also aiming to remove some 600 dangerous and illegal tyres from Southport‘s roads during October.
Across the Protyre network, the company aimed to perform around 300,000 safety checks.
Tyre Safety Month is organised and promoted by national tyre safety charity, Tyre Safe.
A study it ran in conjunction with Highways England last year found that 27% of cars – or some 10 million vehicles – are driving with at least one tyre at or below the legal tread depth of 1.6mm.
Matt Dickson, Protyre’s area manager, said: “People often check things like their oil or windscreen washer levels, but we want to help educate people about also regularly checking the condition of their tyres to make sure they’re not only legal, but also safe.
“Tyres are the only part of a car in contact with the road’s surface, so they are the main factor that is the difference between stopping in an emergency or having an accident.
“As we approach winter and the roads become cold and damp, tyres will play an increasingly important role in keeping us safe.
“Quite simply, a worn tyre has very little grip and is an accident waiting to happen.”
To get your tyres checked at Protyre Southport, call in or book an appointment by calling 01704 538163.
Shmee150’s video can be found on his YouTube channel, or visit Protyre. co.uk and follow the links.