Motorists are being urged to ensure their tyres are properly inflated as Tyre Safety Month 2013 (October) gets into gear.
Tyre Safety Month is organised by not for profit road safety group TyreSafe and supported by thousands of garages and other organisations across the UK. The 2013 campaign encourages drivers to make monthly tyre pressure checks to ensure their vehicle(s) remain safe on the road.
Results from a recent pan-European survey by a TyreSafe member, involving more than 27,000 cars, found that 78% were being driven on under-inflated tyres – and 28% had seriously under-inflated tyres.
And DfT casualty stats for 2012 show that last year 194 people were killed or seriously injured as a result of an accident caused by an illegal, defective or under-inflated tyre.
To help drivers understand the importance of checking tyre pressure, TyreSafe has developed a suite of materials including a dealer locator and online animation.
There is also a free iPhone app which gives drivers the correct tyre pressure for their vehicle(s), simply by inputting their registration details.
Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: "As the nights draw in and the weather deteriorates it is essential that drivers ensure that their tyres are safe and fit for the winter ahead.
“The most basic inspection, which should be carried out at least once a month, is simply checking that your tyres are properly inflated. Tread depth and tyre condition are also important and to help drivers make these assessments, thousands of garages will be offering free safety checks throughout the month."
Be careful filling your tyres at the local supermarket – the devices are known to be inaccurate. Better get the aid of your local tyre merchant – most are helpful. Or buy a tyre pressure gauge that is known to be accurate.
bob craven Lancs
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My local supermarket DOES have free air. It would help if the large tyre fitters did their job properly. A year ago I needed two tyres and asked for a specific psi to be put in- Eco friendly so abov the usual. Less than a week later, at a dealership service they told me that the the tyres were both over 10 psi less than standard!
Andy, Warwick
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I can well remember when most garages not only sold fuel, but also repaired vehicles. They used to provide free air via their workshop compressors so that customers could check and inflate their tyres if necessary. Most outlets now only sell fuel, and if air is provided it is charged for. Would it not be too much to ask that the supermarket giants, which dominate the market, engage in some altruism and start providing free air once more?
David, Suffolk
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Tyres, eh? I check mine every morning, a numerical check. When you live at my post code it’s advisable to make sure you still have four wheels on your car before driving off.
I’m just as zealous with all my other checks, central heating boiler, carbon monoxide detectors, smoke alarm batteries, sell-by dates on all perishables (especially in the fridge), masonry bees, blood pressure, pulse rate, alcohol intake, calorie count, weight, BMI, lung capacity, aged relatives, outstanding bills, payday loans, poverty, bailiffs. Yes, I do check my tyres and so should you,unlike the rest of the population who always seem to imagine there are other things more urgent to worry about.
Nigel Horsley, Leicestershire County Council
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Sidewall failure is not uncommon, and judging by the way many park striking kerbs I’m not surprised. Austerity has led many to buy ‘worn’ tyres that outwardly look OK, but many have come from continental wrecks. The craze for ever larger low profile tyres has exacerbated this, as the cost of many new tyres are prohibitive.
Olly, Lancs
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Whilst I agree with Idris that a month is a long time between tyre pressure checks, it is far more frequent than many drivers are probably doing (Service/MOT?) and so more likely to get accepted. If they do monthly checks then they will see how stable their tyre pressures are and even may notice what tread they have left. Promoting perfection can often lead to less take up than promoting acceptable practice. Auto sensing is OK (and probably the future) but what is the right figure when it changes with the loading!
Mark, Caerphilly
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A problem I experience quite regularly but have never seen mentioned is a slow leak caused not in the tyre but due to corrosion of the rim of alloy wheels. The most recent example lost 10 psi over a weekend in a garage, one month is far too long an interval for checking. Tyre companies fix it by applying sealant to the rim.
Idris Francis Fight Back With Facts Petersfield
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Poorly inflated tyres reduce road grip adhesion. Under inflation causes tyre walls to overheat and collapse, plus increases the risk of punctures. Blow-outs are a common factor caused by under inflation. Braking, cornering and general handling are all affected by under inflation. The evidence of under or even over inflation can be witnessed by monitoring tyre tread wear. Under inflated tyres wear on the outer edges of the tread, over inflated tyres wear in the centre. Any uneven wear proves that the contact area to the road is not across the tread width, increasing the risk of accidents, especially in an emergency, cornering, water or ice on the road. Regular checking of pressures, fitting of pressure sensors or other long term measures can be taken. If you are the type that carefully monitors pressures then you are probably more likely to sense something is not quite right, before disaster occurs.
David Matthews Desborough Northamptonshire
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Where the report states “94 people were killed or seriously injured as a result of an accident caused by an illegal, defective or under-inflated tyre”. Is this inferring the primary cause was a defective tyre or that it was a secondary contributory factor?
Keith
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My real issue here is that yes tyres are correctly inflated for winter. But a poor substitute for winter tyres and yes with correct air pressure. Yes, safety costs from BMW chips & emergency recovery services to winter tyres to paying for the air.
Gareth, Surrey
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I’m sure I’m not the only person who has checked tyre pressures to find at least one well below what it should be, but had not noticed any difference whatsoever in the vehicle’s driveability. It could be relevant in seriously hard braking or cornering at the limit of adhesion, but these are actions precipitated by the driver, not the tyre and the DfT shouldn’t be claiming the accident was “caused” by the tyre.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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