Government tyre safety initiative
Initiatives seek to educate drivers about the risks of underinflated and worn tyres
Awareness of in ation and wear top list
THE GOVERNMENT HAS announced a safety blitz to encourage drivers to keep their tyres in top condition as it attempts to slash road casualties by 40% by 2020. Highways England believes focusing on tyre safety will make an important contribution to that target. In 2016, tyre-related incidents on Britain’s roads led to eight fatalities and 120 serious injuries. The organisation deals with more than 3500 wheel or tyre-related incidents every month. Government figures suggest that one in 12 HGV tyres is dangerously underinflated, increasing to one in eight for car tyres.
TREAD CHECKERS
A number of initiatives are being launched to educate drivers about the perils of tyre failure, which is often caused by incorrect inflation or worn treads.
Projects include tyre tread checkers being included in baby boxes delivered to new parents; investigating ways of quickly scanning vehicles, especially lorries, for tyre tread depth and issues such as overheating brakes or axles, which can cause vehicles to break down suddenly; and pilot schemes equipping firefighters with mobile 3D scanners to provide drivers with accurate tread depth readings and advice at safety events. Highways England is also expanding a pilot initiative launched two years ago at Keele services, where drivers were able to use a sensor station with an instant printout facility to check the health of their tyres. The AA welcomed the move, saying tyre issues have overtaken battery problems as the top reason for its callouts. On average, the AA attends a vehicle with tyre issues every 60 seconds and a third of the tyres AA patrols see are below the 1.6mm minimum tread depth.
POOR ROAD MAINTENANCE
AA motoring boss Simon Benson said: “Fatalities and casualties are too often directly attributed to tyre issues. The lack of investment into Britain’s roads is also having a serious impact on the condition of the nation’s tyres.
“Recent research indicates that one in six roads are in poor condition – and, despite road traffic increasing by 11.4 billion miles since 2014, road maintenance budgets have dropped by £220 million over the same period.”
Benson added that less than two-thirds (61%) of drivers actually check their tyre condition before setting off on a long journey.
Stuart Lovatt, Highways England’s road safety tsar, said: “Tyre failure is often due to incorrect inflation or worn treads. This can lead to everything from frustrating congestion caused by breakdowns to catastrophic collisions and tragic loss of life.
“A focus on tyre safety will be a key activity over the next few years, with an emphasis on reaching out to vulnerable road users.”