Wet weather could cause increased accident rates this winter

UK motorists are unprepared for bad weather this winter, and are more likely to experience an accident due to poor tyre maintenance, study suggests. A new survey, conducted by safety campaign organisation TyreSafe, says drivers are potentially unprepared for heavy rainfall and the type of road conditions that may lead to road traffic accidents.

The research, conducted as part of Tyre Safety Month this October, found just 27% of drivers checked their tyres in the last month. This is the longest time recommended to wait between checks. Even worse, an astonishing one in five people claimed they had never checked them at all.

Chairman of the TyreSafe organisation Stuart Jackson said a reluctance to check could result in a decline in car performance:

‘Without adequate tyre tread depth, your car may be unable to cope properly in wet conditions, causing problems such as longer stopping distances, loss of grip and even an increased risk of aquaplaning.’

It is thought almost 75% of drivers are not ready for bad weather conditions this winter. He went on:

‘Last winter was the wettest ever on record and it's essential that motorists check their tread depth at least once a month to ensure they can cope with any similar weather which we may experience again this year.’

UK law dictates that all car tyres must have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm but more than 25% of the people asked believed the legal limit to be less. To further prove the lack of knowledge on the issue, 80% of respondents were also unaware there was a maximum fine for insufficient tread depth of £2,500 and that this was a serious offence.

Even worse, when asked how they would react to losing control of their car on wet roads, half of people gave answers which suggest they would react in a manner that would either have no effect or make the situation worse. One common ‘solution’ respondents offered was slamming on the handbrake.

Happily, 80% of drivers knew what aquaplaning was – where car tyres lose complete control on a road surface and begin to skid.

Staying safe during wet weather can be as easy as performing a simple tyre check twice a month. It isn’t difficult for drivers to do it themselves with a 20p and there are also free checks offered by garages as part of October Tyre Safety Month.

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