The UK’s leading road safety authorities have united in their calls for parents up and down the UK to make tyre safety an absolute priority going into the back to school season. Organisations including TyreSafe are reaching out to school run drivers across Britain in order to press the importance of ensuring tyres are in fact safe to drive on.
The push comes after a recent study revealed that up to a third of all school run drivers are taking their kids to and from their classes in cars with illegally worn tyres.
“The start of the new academic year means that we will be experiencing many more cars on the roads, particularly at peak times of the day,” said TyreSafe chairman Stuart Jackson.
“Many of these cars may be used less frequently so it’s essential that their tyres are checked to ensure that they are roadworthy and legal so that the precious load is transported in a safe manner.”
Up and down the UK, an incredible 11 million school run journeys are made by car every single day during term time. However, despite on-going warnings from the Department of Transport and threats of criminal action by local and national authorities, well over 1,200 serious accidents each year are blamed 100% on at least one of the cars involved having inappropriate, defective, underinflated or worn-out tyres.
TyreSafe is once again making its voice heard as the school run season kicks into full swing, in order to remind parents that the number one lesson on their own road safety list should be that of responsible tyre safety. The most important tyre checks of all can be carried out in a matter of seconds by anyone and don’t demand outside help or any expensive equipment.
First and foremost, tyre pressures should be checked and can be verified in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Pressure gauges cost next to nothing these days and anyone with an Internet connection can find out exactly what kinds of minimum and maximum pressures they should be looking to achieve.
In addition, it’s also the responsibility of the driver to ensure that the central three quarters of the tyre are covered with tread of at least 1.6mm in depth. To drive with tyres that don’t measure up to official guidelines is to risk three penalty points for each defective tyre, along with a £2,500 penalty. Or in other words, you could lose your license and face a hefty fine.
And finally, any apparent or suspected defects should be addressed at first sight or brought to the attention of a professional.
“Dropping children off at the school gates can be a particularly tough job for tyres with issues such as repeated kerb strikes to deal with,” Jackson added.
“Making these vital safety checks only takes a couple of moments but could make the world of difference to the safety of you and your children. Of course, this isn’t just a one-time job; it’s something that we all should be doing on an on-going basis at least once a month.
Itrat Batool
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