For this year’s annual October-long Tyre Safety Month, TyreSafe is asking Britain’s motorists What’s Stopping You?.

Regular tyre safety checks reduce the risks of an incident while on the roads. It is estimated that one-in-five drivers have never checked the tread on their tyres. The startling number rises to one-in-three among young drivers.

Save lives save money

Checking and maintaining tyres also reduces the cost of motoring. Underinflated tyres will wear quicker and cause the vehicle to use more fuel.

TyreSafe has developed impactful and realistic depictions of scenarios to help educate drivers on the importance and benefits of tyre safety. The examples involve families, loved ones and young drivers, helping them to resonate with a range of audiences. They highlight the potential stakes of driving on defective tyres.

Checking in

The question What’s Stopping You? reminds the motorist of the benefits and importance of tyre checks. It also carries the literal message that, as the only point of contact between the road and the vehicle, it is tyres which are crucial for safe and effective braking and cornering. No matter how god the cars stated stopping distance, roadholding credentials and comfort, they mean nothing if the those little black circles aren’t up to speed.

The campaign incorporates the powerful acronym ‘A.C.T. – Air pressure, Condition, Tread’. This helps further imprint the three elements of basic tyre safety checks on the driver.

Air Pressure – correct tyre pressures are shown on a sticker in your car’s door shut, filler cap or in the owner’s manual. Use an accurate pressure gauge to ensure they are right for the load as part of your pre-journey planning

Condition – if stones or other objects caught between grooves in the tread can be removed without damaging the tyre, drivers are advised to do so. Bulges, cracks, cuts and embedded objects are cause for concern and need to be checked by a professional

Tread – if you don’t have access to an accurate tread depth gauge, a 20p coin can be used to see if your tyres’ tread depths are approaching the 1.6mm minimum limit. Insert the 20p at several points across and around each tyre. If you can see the coin’s outer rim at any point the tyre may be illegal and you should seek advice from a professional.

Help us help you

Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe Chair, says the new campaign “is particularly powerful in how is depicts the real risks and high stakes of not regularly checking your tyres”.

‘There really is no excuse for ignoring tyre safety – you’ll help keep yourself, your passengers and other road users safe, particularly as the winter months and more challenging driving conditions approach. Tyre safety checks – what’s stopping you?”

You can find a range of resources under the ‘For supporters’ section of tyresafe.org. Materials include videos and images.