News & Events

One in three cars in the North East has at least one defective or badly worn tyre

Getting on for one in three of all cars and vans on the road in the north east of England have at least one defective or badly worn tyre according to the Tyre Industry Council, Britain's foremost tyre safety organisation.

In advance of this year's North East England Tyre Safety Campaign which will run during May, the TIC has released research from roadside tyre checks which indicates that over 30% of cars and vans in the region have at least one tyre requiring replacement. Failure to do so places the driver at much greater risk of having an accident particularly in the wet says the TIC.

This year's campaign has received support from the four local police forces - Cleveland, Durham, Northumbria and North Yorkshire and police roadside tyre checks are planned during the campaign to punch home the message of the importance of tyres in relation to road safety.

UK tyre law requires that tyres have a minimum of 1.6 mm of tread across three quarters of the width of the tyre. However, the TIC recommends that tyres should be changed well in advance of the minimum, at 3mm for maximum safety.

During this year's tyre safety campaign major local tyre dealers including ATS, National Tyres and Autocare, North Eastern Tyres plus other independent dealers are offering free tyre checks and advice. A full list of the dealers offering this service is available on the TIC website.