Protyre News

Protyre, the UK’s largest independent chain of fast fit and mechanical centres, will throw its full backing behind October’s Tyre Safety Month with an ambitious initiative to rid the UK's roads of more than 60,000 poorly maintained or illegal tyres.

Protyre’s ‘Project 250k’ campaign has been devised to perform free safety checks on around 250,000 car and van tyres nationwide over the next four weeks, which could lead to tens of thousands of severely worn and illegal tyres being identified.

The key message to motorists this Tyre Safety Month is ‘Don’t chance it, check it!’, which is particularly important as data by TyreSafe, the national tyre safety charity and promoter of Tyre Safety Month, indicates that during 2016 up to one in four cars on UK roads could have at least one tyre at or below the legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm.

As the only component in contact with the road surface, tyres are the most crucial safety feature on any vehicle. A tyre worn to or beyond the legal limit will have very limited grip, severely compromising a vehicle’s ability to accelerate, corner and brake. Motorists can also face a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points for each illegal tyre.

Awareness of tyre safety amongst the UK’s 35 million drivers is a major concern for safety campaigners. Research commissioned by Protyre shows that a worrying 42% of motorists don’t know what the legal minimum tyre tread depth is, while nearly one in 10 (13%) think a garage is legally responsible for checking the condition of their car’s tyres, not the driver.

Simon Hiorns, retail director at Protyre, which fits more than one million replacement tyres every year through an expanding network of over 90 centres, said: “Tyre Safety Month is designed to raise awareness of the importance of tyres and we’re proud to be its partner in promoting this message. Our centres are established businesses and trusted by the local communities they serve, and they’ll be at the forefront of providing information and advice, as well as performing free safety checks throughout October.

“Through our network of fast fit centres and various community events, we’re confident of being able to perform around 250,000 safety checks over the next four weeks, which means us potentially taking over 60,000 poorly maintained or illegal tyres of the roads.

“We understand tyres are not front of mind for most people, but as the only part of a car in contact with the road’s surface, their condition can mean the difference between stopping in an emergency or having an accident. As we approach winter and the roads become cold and damp, tyres will play an increasingly important role in keeping us safe. Quite simply, a worn tyre has very little grip and is an accident waiting to happen.”

Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe chairman, comments: “TyreSafe applauds Protyre’s ambitious plans to perform up to 250,000 safety checks during October and is grateful to its centres throughout the country for supporting Tyre Safety Month so enthusiastically. When it comes to tyres, our message to UK motorists is clear, don’t chance it, check it, and ensure they are safe, legal and winter-ready.”

For more information on Tyre Safety Month, visit www.tyresafe.org.uk. Anyone wishing to take advantage of the free safety check offer should visit their nearest Protyre branch.