Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has become an official partner of UK road safety charity TyreSafe, strengthening a shared commitment to improving road safety across the region and promoting safer journeys for all road users.
TfWM, is part of theWest Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and serves one of the most densely populated and diverse regions in the UK. Covering almost three million residents, it is the second-largest metropolitan area in the UK after London.
Across the whole West Midlands region, there are 32.7 billion vehicle miles travelled per year, and TfWM oversees 643km of the region’s busiest main roads. While these represent only 7% of the total road length, they carry 50% of all traffic in the West Midlands.
As part of the partnership, TfWM will have access to TyreSafe’s full range of educational resources, campaign materials and research, helping to reinforce key tyre safety messages across its road safety activity and engagement with drivers, riders and fleet operators.
Tyres play a vital role in vehicle safety, directly affecting braking, steering and grip — particularly in wet conditions. Despite this, tyre maintenance is often overlooked. TyreSafe works with more than 250 organisations nationwide, including local authorities, police forces and transport bodies, to raise awareness of the simple checks that can significantly reduce risk on the road.
The collaboration reflects a strong alignment between TfWM’s Road Safety Action Plan and TyreSafe’s evidence-led approach to education and behaviour change, supporting safer travel across all modes and age groups.
Mat MacDonald, West Midlands Road Safety Commissioner, said: “It’s no exaggeration to say that safe tyres can be the difference between life and death in a collision on our roads. In 2024 there were 172 people killed or seriously injured across the country in crashes related to defective tyres, which was a significant increase on the five-year average for such incidents.
“Each of these cases has wreaked a trail of destruction, loss and heartache for everyone impacted. And each of them could have been prevented by getting the basics right.
“That’s why we’ve partnered with Tyresafe to tackle this worrying trend head on. By using their resources to better understand the issue and educate drivers, we want to make sure that every vehicle out there is as safe as possible. Because safer tyres can save lives.”
Through the partnership, TfWM will be able to draw on TyreSafe’s internationally recognised ACT tyre safety message — encouraging drivers to regularly check Air pressure, Condition and Tread — and integrate this guidance into relevant communications and campaigns.
“TfWM’s commitment to evidence-based road safety and collaboration makes them a natural partner for TyreSafe,” said Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe. “By working together, we can ensure consistent, clear tyre safety messages reach drivers across the West Midlands, helping them understand that simple, regular checks can make a real difference in preventing incidents and keeping roads safer for everyone.”
TyreSafe’s supporter programme is open to organisations that share its mission to improve road safety through education, research and partnership working.
For more information on tyre safety advice and resources, visit www.tyresafe.org.
