Tyre Safety Month is here again, a timely and important reminder of the vital role tyres play in keeping us safe on the roads.
GEM’s head of road safety James Luckhurst sets out the organisation’s support for this excellent initiative.

  • Nearly 40% of UK vehicles are running on illegal or dangerously worn tyres1
  • Neglecting tyre checks causes more than two million MOT failures each year
  • GEM reminds drivers that every tyre’s palm-sized grip patch is critical to safety

Just imagine if everyone’s tyres could silently adjust their pressures, repair their damage and renew their worn treads. There would be little need for awareness campaigns, no sharing of tips for checking tread depths… and fewer incidents on the roads.

Sadly, tyres are not self-repairing, and that is why Tyre Safety Month exists. With an estimated 39.5% of vehicles on our roads running on tyres that are either below the legal limit or dangerously close to it1 – and more than two million MOT failures attributed to tyre defects each year – we need to keep raising the alarm.

That is why I am pleased to confirm GEM’s full support for this excellent annual initiative, which not only raises awareness but also provides drivers with the practical knowledge they need to make small, regular checks that can save lives.  We know that tyres are the only part of a vehicle that make direct contact with the road surface. Each tyre offers no more than a patch of grip roughly the size of a hand. That small contact area carries not only the vehicle’s weight but also controls acceleration, steering and braking.

When tyres are neglected – whether under-inflated, over-worn, or damaged – the consequences can be devastating. Yet many drivers seem to think tyres will somehow look after themselves, and that their car will alert them when something is wrong. Technology certainly has a role, but it cannot replace individual responsibility and the need for regular checks.

Here are some basic warnings:

  • Under-inflated tyres can overheat, reduce fuel efficiency and wear unevenly, not to mention increasing stopping distances.
  • Tyres that fall below the legal tread depth of 1.6mm pose serious risks in wet conditions, as they will become less able to disperse road surface water. 
  • Three-quarters of tyre defects in fatal collisions were due to a lack of maintenance – and more than half of car tyres on our roads are believed to be underinflated2 by at least 4 psi

A practical approach
At GEM, we know life is busy for everyone; it’s hard keeping up with every aspect of car maintenance. That’s why our advice for Tyre Safety Month boils down to simple steps we can all carry out with minimal time and effort: 

  • Check tyre pressures at least once a month.
  • Use a reliable pressure gauge or an airline found at most petrol stations.
  • Familiarise yourself with the car manufacturer’s recommended settings, which are usually found in the driver’s manual or on a panel inside the fuel flap or door frame. Do your checks when tyres are cold, ideally before a journey rather than after one. 
  • Write your car’s tyre size and inflation levels on a piece of paper kept in the glove box so you can check quickly when putting air in them. Alternatively place a dot of nail varnish next to the settings relevant to your vehicle on the chart on the inside of the door. It’s another quick way of knowing the pressures you need.
  • Keep a small tyre check bag (pressure gauge, 20p coin and card with tyres sizes and pressures) in the glovebox or boot storage. This will save a lot of time when you do your monthly checks.
  • Make regular visual checks: look for signs of damage such as cuts or bulges.
  • Care about the spare: don’t overlook the condition of your spare tyre. You won’t want to find it unusable on the one occasion you need it.  

We all share responsibility for safety on journeys: our own, our passengers and other road users. By committing to just a few minutes’ attention each month, we’re reducing the risk of collisions, breakdowns and potentially expensive repairs. 

At GEM, we encourage all drivers to put tyre safety on their regular checklist. Autumn’s sure to bring its share of wind, rain and wet surfaces, so we need our tyres to be at their best. Tyre Safety Month is an excellent reminder that a few simple checks, performed regularly, can help keep us safe all through the year.

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