Defective Tyres Cause 1075 Accidents Per Year on Average in the UK
As we approach the latter part of the year, tyre safety comes further into focus for drivers everywhere.
Online automotive marketplace ClickMechanic has researched statistics surrounding tyre care and its impact on motorists, with 1075 accidents per year on average in the UK resulting from neglect of tyres. With awareness being raised by this year’s Tyre Safety Month, the need to check tyres – even at a basic level – is so important.
According to TyreSafe.org, tyre issues have significantly contributed to road accidents in the last five years in the UK, as the previously mentioned UK average of 1075 accidents has confirmed. When looking at the stats of other causes such as mobile phone use (651 factors) and braking issues (1,052 factors), defective tyres are a common cause of road accidents. Considering that 20% of MOT failures are caused by poor tyre condition, this is a commonplace issue that in addition can lead to serious consequences if not addressed.
Tyre Safety: Critical for motorists up and down the country
The number of tyre-related casualties in the last 5 years totalled 5,375, and so it is as crucial as ever that drivers get their tyres checked. In the last 5 years, over 10 million tyres were shown to be illegal, with a whopping 70.4% of tyres having a tread depth of 2mm or below – which qualifies as borderline or illegal, given the legal limit of 1.6mm.
Having tyres inspected regularly could save drivers from accidents
Tyre pressure is imperative to driver safety. Tyres that are 20% under pressure are classed as dangerous to drive, and even as little as a 10% decrease in recommended pressure can result in reduced vehicle control and reduced tyre life. As well as that, the legal implications of illegal tyres are huge, with the possibility of three points being added to drivers’ licences for each illegal tyre.
Andrew Jervis, co-founder of ClickMechanic said: “Tyre management is a key component of driver safety, and all drivers should strive to make the necessary checks. Even the simplest of inspections can reveal the condition of tyres. As a result, this can contribute to the prevention of road accidents, thus keeping motorists safe whilst out on the road
Tyre safety in focus: A snippet of the implications of poor tyre conditions (Tyresafe.org)
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