TyreSafe backs Operation Spotlight with prevention plea
As police forces across the UK step up enforcement during the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Operation Spotlight, TyreSafe is supporting the campaign’s focus on one of the “Fatal Four” offences – seatbelt use – while reminding drivers that road safety depends on both protection and prevention.
Seatbelts are one of the most effective vehicle safety features ever introduced. Wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death for drivers by around 50%. (Department for Transport / THINK! Road Safety Campaign)
Despite this, the problem persists among younger drivers:
- Four unbelted young people were killed or seriously injured every week in 2022.
- 30% of car occupant fatalities among 17–29-year-olds were not wearing seatbelts.
- Drivers and passengers aged 17–34 have the lowest seatbelt-wearing rates combined with the highest accident risk. (Source: THINK! Road Safety Campaign / Department for Transport)
Research also shows that young men are more likely to skip wearing a seatbelt on short or familiar journeys, particularly at night. (Source: THINK! Road Safety Campaign)
Young drivers also lag behind on tyre safety awareness
Research commissioned by TyreSafe last year highlights a similar pattern when it comes to tyre safety, with younger drivers showing gaps in knowledge, awareness and maintenance behaviours.
While safety is the most important factor for most motorists when choosing tyres, younger drivers are significantly more likely to prioritise performance instead.
The research also found that:
- Over a third of young drivers have never heard of the 20p tyre tread test, a simple method used to check whether tyres are close to the legal limit.
- Although 72% of drivers know there is a legal minimum tread depth, nearly three in ten do not know what that limit is.
- Only 40% of drivers checked their tyre pressure and 30% checked their tread depth within the last month, despite monthly checks being recommended.
- Alarmingly, 10% of drivers say they never check their tyre tread depth at all.
The research also suggests younger drivers may be more exposed to higher-risk tyre choices. More than one in five drivers have purchased part-worn tyres, rising to 27% among drivers under 30.
Protection vs Prevention
While Operation Spotlight rightly targets the “Fatal Four” – including the lifesaving importance of seatbelts – TyreSafe is reminding motorists that surviving a crash is secondary to preventing one.
If a driver if forced to brake in an emergency it is the tyres that will grip the road and reduce the risk of a collision. The seat belt is there for when a collision does happen.
With worn tyres significantly reducing grip, the difference between a near miss and a collision can often come down to tread depth.
Research shows that: At 70mph, worn tyres can add 27 metres to stopping distance, increasing braking distance by around 28% compared with Highway Code expectations.
(Source: Halfords plc / Professor Peter Wells, Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University)
In wet conditions at motorway speeds, worn tyres can have seven times more impact on stopping distance than alcohol.
(Source: Halfords plc / Professor Peter Wells, Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University)
Tyre defects still causing serious casualties
According to the latest road casualty data from the Department for Transport:
An average of 153 people are killed or seriously injured each year in incidents involving defective tyres.
172 tyre-related deaths or serious injuries were recorded in 2024, higher than the five-year average.
Further forensic investigation of fatal crashes shows that 75% of tyre defects linked to fatal incidents were caused by poor maintenance, highlighting how preventable many tyre-related incidents are.
(Source: National Highways Fatals Database 2014-2022, verified by Transport Research Laboratory)
A simple check that can prevent crashes
TyreSafe is encouraging motorists to carry out the simple ACT tyre safety check once a month:
A – Air pressure
Check tyres are inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended level.
C – Condition
Look for cuts, cracks, bulges or objects embedded in the tyre.
T – Tread depth
The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, although safety experts recommend replacing tyres at 3mm to maintain optimum wet grip. Tread depth can be easily checked using a 20p piece as a guide. Drivers and riders can insert the coin into the tread and if the outer rim of the coin is covered, tyres are above the legal limit.
A belt-and-braces approach to road safety
TyreSafe says both seatbelts and tyres play critical roles in road safety — one protects people during a crash, while the other helps prevent the crash from happening at all.
Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe Chair said, “Operation Spotlight highlights the importance of wearing a seatbelt, and rightly so — seatbelts save lives.
But road safety also depends on preventing collisions in the first place. Tyres are the only part of the vehicle that touches the road, and their condition determines braking, grip and control.
Checking your tyres once a month using the ACT method is a simple step that could make the difference between a near miss and a serious collision.”
