Car insurance news
Millions of motorists forget tyre safety at Christmas
A study by Avon Tyres found that almost 3 in 4 motorists will forget to check their tyres before they set out on journeys to see relatives at Christmas.
Avon carried out a survey on 702 motorists at Dover Port who were planning to travel between 100 and 500 miles. They asked whether people had checked their tyre pressures and treads and found that on average only 39% had checked tyre pressure, and 32% had checked their tyre treads.
They found that those travelling longer journeys, however, were much more likely to check their tyres, with 53% checking pressure and 48% checking tread.
Mr Johns of Avon Tyres urges drivers to be more safety conscious: “…Tyres are your only contact with the road. Motorists should check their tyre pressure and condition before they set off, when they tyres are still cold to get an accurate reading.”
A separate study by Michelin found that 85% of drivers weren’t aware of the correct tyre pressure for their car, details of which can be found in the handbook.
Driving with under-inflated or bald tyres has many implications that most drivers would like to avoid; higher fuel consumption, increased tyre and engine wear, reduced control of the vehicle, longer stopping distances and a higher chance of sudden tyre failure.
A motorist has a much higher chance of being in a road accident if they do not carry out tyre checks, risking higher motor insurance premiums and putting themselves and their passengers in danger.