UK runs tyre safety month

ERJ staff report (DS)

London -- The UK's tyre lobbying body, TyreSafe is running a tyre safety month during October. TyreSafe said the campaign will focus on the importance of tyre pressure in vehicle safety, helping motorists to understand the dangers of under and over-inflated tyres, as well as raising awareness of how, where and when to check tyre pressure.

"In 2007, nearly one life was lost every single week of the year as a result of a road traffic accident where illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor," explains Rob Beddis, chairman, TyreSafe. "This tragic loss of life is unnecessary and could have been avoided by carrying out simple, regular checks on tyre pressure, tread depth and tyre condition.

Figures from the UK's Vehicle and Operator Services Agency suggest the problem is getting worse. In 2006/07, 11 percent or 860,000 MOT failures were a result of tyre defects. In 2007/08, this figure rose to 14 percent or 1.1 million failures, making it the fourth most common reason for MOT failure.

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Press release from TyreSafe