UK motorists are risking their lives as well as their licences by driving with tyres which fall below the minimum legal standard according to new research.
A study commissioned by KwikFit suggests somewhere in the region of 3.6 million motorist do not change their tyres until they fail on an MOT test. Illegal tyres can leave drivers risking three points and a £2,500 fine as well as compromising the handling and safety of their vehicle, and KwikFit have called on drivers to pay greater attention to the condition of their tyres, especially with colder and wetter weather on the horizon.
The legal limit minimum tread depth for car tyres is 1.6 millimetres, across the central three-quarters of the tread around the complete circumference of the tyre, but tyre performance has already begun to deteriorate by the time it reaches this minimum requirement. “Motorists should realise that responsibility for vehicle health and safety lies directly in their hands,” said KwikFit’s Roger Griggs.
“Without proper care, motorists could land themselves either in legal trouble or in an incident on the road. Tyres should be the number one priority for drivers - after all, they are the only part of a car which keeps it on the road. Even though at 1.6 millimetres of tread a tyre is legal, it will not have much grip on the road and travelling in adverse weather conditions can be treacherous.
“It’s very worrying that so many drivers let their tread depth drop so low and leave it to the MOT to check – after all that could be up to a year away.”
KwikFit is hoping to encourage drivers to tackle tyre issues with a month long campaign where customers who trade in their worn premium tyres could receive up to £35 off new Michelin CrossClimate tyres.
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