Almost three quarters of motorway incidents related to tyre failure could be prevented if drivers carried out simple checks, according to new research unveiled by Highways England and tyre company Bridgestone.
More than 30 people were killed or seriously injured in motorway crashes in 2016 due to illegal or faulty tyres. But an 18-month study says commuters, commercial drivers and other road users could do a lot more to help reduce crashes through regular tyre checking.
Richard Leonard, Highways England’s head of road safety, said: “England’s motorways are the safest in the world but we’re determined to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on them. Road users must play a bigger role and get into the habit of checking tyre pressures and tread depths and looking out for nails and other debris stuck in tyres before setting out on journeys. These simple checks could save lives.”
The research revealed that almost 75% of tyre failure samples analysed by Bridgestone involved poor inflation or debris penetration issues – problems which could be potentially avoided with better tyre husbandry.