Leicestershire Road Safety Group says drivers are risking lives by not checking their car tyres
It's as one in four vehicles on UK roads are thought to have illegal tyres
Drivers in Leicestershire are being warned to check their tyres, with one in four cars on UK roads thought to have illegal or unsafe tyres.
Figures show a hundred and ninety people were killed or seriously injured last year because of defective tyres.
This is something that gets overlooked by owners
As colder temperatures and darker evenings set in, National Highways is urging drivers to check their tyres as part of its seasonal T.R.I.P. campaign, encouraging everyone to Top-up, Rest, Inspect and Prepare before setting off.
New figures reveal that around six million illegal tyres are on UK roads.
In 2023, 190 people were killed or seriously injured due to defective tyres, which is a 29% increase from 147 in 2022.
On motorways and major A roads, 25 people were killed or seriously injured, up from 22 the previous year.
These figures are comparable to mobile phone-related collisions, according to data from the Department for Transport.
Jonathon Clarkson, from Leicestershire and Rutland's Road Safety Partnership, said:
"This is something that gets overlooked by owners."
"The weather's changing, and the road conditions are changing, so it's even more important people do the checks, and I'm talking about tyre pressure checks and tread depth as well."
"In terms of the tread depth, you can put a 20p coin in various places in the tyre, and the outer band needs to be obscured. If it is, you're over that minimum tread depth."
It's important people do the checks
In 2024, more than 53,000 tyre-related breakdowns were recorded on motorways and major A roads. This was the most common diagnosed cause and accounted for nearly one in five of all breakdowns.
More than a fifth of drivers who broke down on a long motorway journey believe it could have been avoided with proper tyre checks before setting off.