Lease Connect – Car News

If only tyres looked after themselves…

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.

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:

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: 

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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