Urgent warning for drivers as dangerous issue could mean you’re ‘speeding’ without even realising
MILLIONS of Brit motorists could be ‘speeding’ without even realising it.
That’s according to new figures that show a staggering seven in ten motorists in the UK, or roughly five million drivers, are inadvertently going faster than they might think.
A recent analysis by Halfords shows that worn tyres can increase a car’s stopping distance in the same way speeding does.
Their study, which was done in conjunction with Cardiff University, shows that a vehicle travelling at 60mph with worn but legal tyres has the same stopping distance as a vehicle travelling at 68mph with its tyres in ‘good’ condition.
This analysis by Professor Peter Wells of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research, was carried out on identical road conditions using tyres with the the legal limit of 1.6mm tread, versus ‘good’ condition tyres at 4mm.
Halfords CEO Graham Stapleton expressed his concern at the findings, warning road-users that they could be ‘unknowingly putting themselves in danger’.
He said: “We quite rightly see regular safety campaigns around drink driving, speeding, and the use of mobile phones whilst driving, and all are potentially very dangerous.
“But the importance of having safe tyres continues to be overlooked as a serious safety issue impacting every road user.
“It sounds simple, but your tyres are the only thing connecting your car – and therefore passengers – to the road.”
Halfords is offering free tyre checks to anyone in the UK in support of Tyre Safety Month to help road users stay safe during the cost of living crisis.
This comes after dozens of motorists suffered damage to their cars included shredded tyres after using a road in Basildon that’s so uneven it’s like ‘driving over steps’.
Elsewhere, two major car brands have revealed they are ‘abandoning plans to build more affordable EVs’.