The annual Tyre Safety Month campaign gets underway today, with a musical theme designed to remind British motorists to ‘get down and check their tyres’.
Organised by TyreSafe, the annual event takes place across October and this year ask motorists ‘when did you last get into the groove to do a tyre tread depth check?’.
Statistics published by TyreSafe suggest that more than half of drivers are driving on ‘poorly maintained or defective’ tyres – with 57% of tyres under-inflated and 27% already illegal when they are replaced.
DfT statistics show that tyre-related incidents cause around 1,000 casualties a year – nearly 200 of which are killed or seriously injured.
As part of Tyre Safety Month 2019, which uses the hashtag #TyreChecks on social media, TyreSafe is inviting motorists to create their own album covers and song titles to promote the importance of tyre safety.
TyreSafe has also produced a ‘pop-tastic’ video to support the campaign (featured above), which can be found on the charity’s YouTube channel.
TyreSafe is calling on all drivers to check their tyres regularly – not just in October, but throughout the year.
Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: “This year’s theme for Tyre Safety Month is all about engaging with drivers.
“The underlying message is a serious and important one but with the scope for creativity in sharing the message, there’s no reason it can’t be fun to be involved. No need to feel Under Pressure – just Tune Into Tyre Safety.”
Surprised that the age of the tyres was not mentioned – professional advice is to replace them, whether worn or not, after no more than 7 to 10 years.
For tyres manufactured after 2000 there are usually four digits after the DOT code which the first two specify the week of manufacture, and the second two specify the year. For example: 5012 = 50th week of 2012
Idris Francis, Petersfield
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Not necessarily Hugh. But you have a point… up to a point.
R.Craven
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More like ‘inept driver-related incidents’ then Bob! A bad workman always blames his tools. Like saying “..not my fault.. my tyres couldn’t cope with my excessive speed and poor judgment..”
Hugh Jones
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Brilliant. Who says ‘safety messaging’ has to be boring. Entertaining and informative in equal measure.
Jan James CEO Good Egg Safety, Saffron Walden
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Perhaps one where the poor condition of the tyre at the time of the incident could, upon examination, have played a part or cause relating to that incident. Conditions such as low pressure causing steering problems, a bald tyre causing all sorts of problems when required to brake safely or hold the road whilst cornering are just two examples where the conditions of the tyre could have been either a full cause or a contributory factor in the event of an incident.
As a bye the bye I have tried to persuade a couple of tyre manufacturers, without success, to change their road safety advice from one of keeping at least two car lengths behind the vehicle in front [which is a mere 26/30ft] to one that advises a driver to be at least two car lengths behind the vehicle in front for every 10 mph. This would bring them in line roughly with the recommendations in the DVSA Handbook on Safe Driving of being one metre per one mph. ie. at 30 ft being 30 metres distance behind.
R.Craven
+1
What’s a ‘tyre-related incident’? A blow-out for example would be a bit more than ‘tyre-related’ surely? Other than that, all vehicles presumably have tyres on them when they have an ‘incident’.
Hugh Jones
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