Latest News Stories

Support voiced for tyre pressure checks

03/10/07

Drivers who fail to ensure their tyres are adequately filled may be leaving themselves open to a car insurance claim.

A campaign to make sure that drivers inflate their tyres properly has been launched by organisation Tyresafe and has so far received support from the government and motoring experts.

Journalist and presenter of Channel 5 programme Fifth Gear Vicki Butler-Henderson stated that motorists may be unaware of the danger they are exposing themselves to.

"I would encourage all drivers to regularly check their tyres for tread depth and pressure. Your life may depend upon it," she warned, adding that she had tested vehicles with worn down and under-inflated tyres with the combination having the potential of being fatal.

Meanwhile, road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick said that keeping to the correct tyre pressure is not only safer, but also more environmentally-friendly as less fuel needs to be used, equating to fewer CO2 emissions generated.

Tyresafe is calling upon garages and auto firms to offer motorists free tyre checks to see whether their wheels are inflated to the correct pressure levels.

According to the organisation, the combination of bad driving and under-inflated tyres costs drivers more than £2 billion in extra fuel costs and creates 5.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas - the same as the quarterly output of a coal-burning power station.

Car maker Volkswagen recently pledged its support by announcing that it would follow the initiative during October.

Searching for cheap car insurance online?go to Dial Direct