Although Tyre Safety Month has drawn to a close, the work of educating drivers to the crucial nature of tyre safety continues.
This has become even more evident with a new study revealing an alarming lack of tyre safety knowledge, indicating that a significant number of motorists are putting lives at risk.
The research, commissioned by AI-powered mobile data capture company Anyline, and TyreSafe, found that just 19% of those surveyed check their tyre tread depth every month, which is the recommended frequency.
On addition, over a third of drivers rely on a simple and subjective visual inspection of their tyres, rather than using a proper gauge, which only 29% of drivers said they did.
Additionally, only 36% knew the correct potential licence penalty for insufficient tread depth, which is three points on their licence for each illegal tyre.
Tyre Safety goes mobile
On a more positive note, 54% of those surveyed said they would check their tyres more frequently if they had a mobile app which could measure tread depth. This is an are which Anyline is spearheading with its AI-powered scanning technology.
“Defective and worn tyres contribute to too many unnecessary injuries and deaths,” commented Lukas Kinigadner, CEO and co-founder at Anyline. “We believe that many of those casualties could be avoided if drivers knew more about their tyres and had the right tools and technology to make informed decisions themselves.
“That is why it was important for Anyline to partner with TyreSafe on this project to better understand what drivers really know about tyre maintenance and where education and technology can be applied in the future to make our roads safer.”
Misconceptions persist
The issue of tyre safety was recently underlined in the Department for Transport’s latest ‘Reported Road Casualties Great Britain’ annual report for 2023, which showed a 29% year-on-year increase in killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties linked to tyre related incidents.
Meanwhile, another key finding from the research was that misconceptions about fines also persist, with many believing the penalty is lower than the actual potential £2,500.
“This new research provides crucial insights into UK drivers’ understanding and practices around tyre safety,” added Stuart Lovatt, chair at TyreSafe.
“It is a critical resource for those looking to enhance road safety by addressing gaps in tyre maintenance practices among UK drivers, which it would appear needs even greater attention.”
