Bridgestone spread the tyre safety message to hundreds of motorists in October at two events. The tyre manufacturer conducted free tyre safety checks and distributed informational postcards at Roadchef’s Norton Canes Services on the M6 Toll in Staffordshire on 19 October, and at Ireland’s Japfest in Mondello Park, where it encouraged young drivers to get into the habit of checking their tyres regularly. The postcards were designed to emphasise the importance of checking tyres and highlight that each vehicle has only four contact patches with the road and they featured safety tips and maintenance advice for future reference.
A recent tyre safety survey from Bridgestone revealed 81 per cent of drivers never check their tyres and only 14 per cent described them as the most important safety feature on their cars.
Bridgestone’s research also showed that 54 per cent do not know that driving on illegal tyres is an extremely dangerous act. Only 31 per cent of motorists admitting to being well informed on road safety matters. In addition, just 12 per cent check their tyre treads once a fortnight, which is the recommended period.
Bridgestone’s North Region vice president Andrea Manenti said: “October is Tyre Safe Month and we know from TyreSafe data that up to 10 million tyres, (1 in 4) are estimated to be illegal in the UK. This is a shocking statistic… the result of this can lead to life-changing accidents and in some cases, fatalities. That is why we are urging drivers to check their tyres and also pass the message on to their friends and loved ones. The postcards certainly made their mark on those we spoke to, and it was uplifting to be able to engage with so many of them during the two events.
“We got the sense that motorists do care, and understand the importance of regular tyre checks, but either don’t know what to look for or think that it will take them too long. The reality is that it only takes a minute to conduct a simple check and it’s a straightforward task.
“We were able to show motorists how to check their tyres, whilst reminding them of the implications of driving on defective or illegal products, which not only puts their safety in jeopardy, but can also lead to fines, penalty points and even a loss of licence.”
Click here for a digital version of the Bridgestone postcard.
Bridgestone offered tyre safety checks to hundreds of motorists at Norton Canes Services (Photo: Bridgestone)
