Bald tyres 'a credit-crunch menace'

Back

The growing menace of balding tyres could impact on car insurance premiums as well as lead to fines and points, experts have warned.

There is mounting evidence that motorists hit by the credit crunch are delaying replacing worn and defective tyres, according to Protyre, Britain’s largest independent tyre-dealer network.

And Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, the road safety partnership of leading industry bodies, government and road safety professionals, said: “This research is worrying.

“Clearly, drivers are delaying the replacement of worn tyres, which is a false economy and will place them at greater risk of having an accident.”

Over three quarters of motorists visiting Protyre`s 31 outlets had at least one defective or badly worn tyre, up dramatically on a year ago.

Drivers of family cars seem more responsible than owners of premium vehicles, with fewer family cars having more than one defective tyre compared with top-end models.

Motorists driving with a defective tyre risk a fine up to £2,500 and three penalty points per tyre. Bald tyres also compromise safety, offering less grip in the wet.

With the UK going into what is predicted to be one of the wettest autumns for many years, the dangers are all too obvious.

Get a car insurance or home insurance quote now.

Bookmark with:

What are these?