A safety awareness organisation has called on Britain’s motorists to check their tyre pressures before setting off on their summer holidays rather than risk facing hours of motorway misery.
Tyresafe says thousands of British holidaymakers suffer tyre-related breakdowns each year simply by neglecting to check their tyres are at the correct pressure.
By checking your tyre pressure before setting off you can significantly reduce the chances of a tyre failure, say Tyresafe, who estimate that around nine million cars in the UK are being driven with severely under-inflated tyres, with the risks increasing in hot weather and with heavily laden vehicles. An under-inflated tyre concentrates the vehicles weight on the outer edges of the tyre, leading to overheating and an increased risk of rapid deflation, a frightening prospect when considering the majority of these incidents occur at high speeds on motorways after prolonged periods of low pressure running.
Stuart Jackson, Tyresafe’s chairman, said: “While many of us will be taking to the roads soon for our summer holidays, it’s important to remember that one very simple check beforehand can prevent many miserable incidents. Making sure that your car’s tyres are inflated to the correct pressures before you travel is a very simple task which only takes a few moments but could prove to be the most important and rewarding time you spend this summer.”
Tyresafe’s advice is to check the pressures when tyres are cold, after having driven less than two miles, and using an accurate pressure gauge. The correct tyre pressure can be found in the vehicle handbook, inside the fuel filler flap, or on a plate inside the driver’s door sill. Always consider that carrying extra loads such as passengers and luggage may require an adjustment to your usual tyre pressure.
Tyresafe’s concerns are backed up by some startling statistics. Between July and September last year the Highways Agency recorded over 8,700 tyre related incidents on its road network. Meanwhile, tyre-related callouts were the second most common received by the AA in 2013, accounting for around 350,000 incident responses.
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