Come on ladies... Check your own tyre pressures!

Published 19th October 2007

Women hate being told that they are no good at looking after their cars. And yes, it is a stereotype, and of course it does not apply to all women, but a recent survey has shown that a substantial 21 percent of women do not have a clue about the correct tyre pressure for their car, preferring to get someone else to check their tyres for them!

This is one of the worrying findings of the largest ever tyre pressure and tyre safety survey undertaken in the UK, carried out by supporters of TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyre safety organisation, to coincide with Tyre Safety Month which runs for the month of October..

Tyre Safety Month focuses on the vital part that tyres play in road safety and highlights the importance of having correctly inflated tyres not just in terms of road safety but also their role in conserving fuel and reducing greenhouse gasesz

Under-inflated tyres, combined with bad driving practice, cost UK motorists over £2 billion in extra fuel, and are responsible for the release of 5.5 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year. Severely deflated tyres are also a serious safety risk, warns TyreSafe, as a vehicle’s handling can be adversely affected, leading to a potential accident.

Part of the TyreSafe campaign is designed to encourage motorists to visit participating tyre retailers, garages and franchise dealers displaying a TyreSafe poster, to take advantage of free tyre pressure and safety checks which extend throughout the month of October. In addition to major tyre retailers, VW and Kia dealers are also offering free tyre safety and pressure checks.

Female and male drivers not aware of the correct tyre pressures for their vehicle can log on to the TyreSafe website (www.tyresafe.org) and by simply typing in their car’s registration number the correct pressure will be displayed on screen.

Tyre Safety Month, the first national campaign to be promoted by the tyre industry in Britain, is being backed by motoring journalist and presenter of Channel 5’s Fifth Gear motoring programme, Vicki Butler-Henderson, “Drivers are clearly not aware of the dangers of driving a car with severely under-inflated tyres. I have recently been testing a car with tyres at low pressures and badly worn and the combination is potentially deadly,” said Vicki. Motorists can view videos of Vicki testing tyres by visiting www.etyres.co.uk or via the TyreSafe website at www.tyresafe.org.

With under-inflated tyres being such a major safety and environmental hazard, all drivers – not just women – should make the effort to check tyre pressures and the general condition of tyres to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, but more importantly enhance the vehicle’s overall safety standards.

For further press information please contact Chris Wakley or Lauren Burl at Automotive PR on 020 7494 8050 mobile 07970 674612

Note to Editors
TyreSafe is a not for profit, non commercial organisation set up to promote tyre safety and to raise the awareness of the dangers of driving on defective or badly worn tyres. Illegal or worn tyres are a contributory factor in many road collisions, particularly in the wet. TyreSafe campaigns for good tyre husbandry – look after your tyres and your tyres will look after you.

TyreSafe supports the government’s ACT ON CO2 campaign which promotes Smarter Driving tips to help cut CO2 emissions from driving. For more information visit www.dft.gov.uk/ActOnCO2

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