Drivers face £2,500 fine if stopped with tyres with the wrong pressure – don’t get caught out
DRIVERS have been warned they could face a £2,500 fine and three points if their tyres have the wrong pressure.
Failure to ensure your tyres have the correct pressure before you set off on a journey could result in a breakdown - or even cause a serious accident.
Tyres with low tread depth are particularly dangerous in wet and icy conditions as they could lose their grip on the road surface.
Only one in six drivers remembered to check their tyre pressure before setting off on a long journey, according to Highways England.
One in five motorway breakdowns are caused by worn or incorrectly inflated tyres - and nearly a third of drivers admitted they’re not confident checking tyre pressure.
Highways Englands has urged drivers to check their tyre pressure and the condition of the tyres - including the spare - before setting off on long journeys.
You can check your owner’s manual to find out the recommended pressures for the tyres on your car.
And to inflate your tyres, most fuel and service station forecourts have an air machine for checking and topping up your tyre pressure.
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Motorists should also keep an eye out for cuts or wear and make sure the tyres have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm - which is the legal limit.
If you are stopped by the police and found with illegal tyres, you could receive a £2,500 fine and three penalty points PER TYRE.
Around 1.4million Brits are driving with at least one tyre that is classified as illegal, according to a recent study by the Confused.com site.
Siobhan Wares, a traffic officer for Highways England who patrols the M25, said: "You are more likely to experience a breakdown or a collision if your tyres are incorrectly inflated or in a poor condition.
"It only takes a few minutes to check your tyre pressure before you go on your day trip or staycation... and it could save you time and money in the long run.
"Help yourself and your family reach your destination safely by checking your vehicle before you go."
Driving with underinflated or overinflated tyres can make your braking distance longer and even make it harder to steer.
A FEW SIMPLE CHECKS
And correctly inflated tyres are also safer and better for the environment too.
They use less fuel, reduce your carbon footprint, create less environmental pollution and reduce waste as the tyres don’t wear out as quickly.
Most of the time, your tyres should last around 20,000 miles. This is how far it takes to wear new tyres down to a potentially hazardous level.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Simon Williams said: "Tyres should have good amount of tread and be inflated to the correct pressures, and oil and coolant levels should be topped up if they are low.
"Our message to staycation drivers is: a few simple checks before travelling can greatly reduce your chances of being stuck at the side of a busy road when you least want to be."
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Clare Egan, head of motor at Admiral, added: "It’s easy to forget to check your car is ready for a long drive, especially if you haven’t been using it much recently.
"A tyre blowout could be at best inconvenient and at worst very dangerous. If a tyre blows while you are driving, it makes your car very hard to control and you could end up in an accident."