A road safety group has warned that many UK drivers are failing to regularly check the tread on their tyres to ensure they provide sufficient grip.
A nationwide survey carried out by TyreSafe found that motorists in East Anglia and the North West are among the most likely to be involved in a tyre related car accident, with one in four admitting they have never checked the tread depth of their tyres .
Tyresafe chairman Stuart Jackson said the research showed a "shocking" number of vehicle owners across Britain are failing to consider this basic maintenance step "which could stop them from being involved in a car accident ".
" Stopping distances in the wet are significantly increased if tyres do not have sufficient tread depth," he added.
"Without regularly checking tread depth, the only time these drivers realise they are lacking grip may be as they are skidding out of control towards another vehicle ."
Motorists in Wales were found to be the most vigilant in the UK, with more than 40 per cent claiming to have checked their tread depths within the last month, closely followed by drivers in Scotland where nearly four in ten drivers carried out the checks.
UK law states that each tyre must have at least 1.6mm of tread across the central three quarters of its entire circumference.
Drivers caught with bald tyres face a maximum penalty of three penalty points and a fine of up to £2,500 per tyre .
As part of October’s tyre safety month, TyreSafe is advising drivers to check if their tyres are safe and legal by simply putting a 20p coin into the main tread grooves of the tyre .
If the outer band of the coin is not visible, then the tyres have adequate tread depth. However, if the outer band can be seen, then the tyres may have insufficient tread and should be checked by a qualified specialist.
Drivers Ignoring Tread Checks On Tyres
Thu, 15 Oct 2009
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