Throughout the year, the organisation carries out a wide range of research that provides some pretty shocking statistics such as the fact that last year 989 motorists were killed or seriously injured in Britain through accidents caused by tyre-related issues. There were an estimated 10 million illegal tyres on Britain's roads in 2015 and 2016 and in the last two years there were over 80,000 tyre-related incidents reported on British roads. The same is true all over Europe, highlighting the importance of tyre safety on a daily basis.
The figures are actually scary, and that's why Pirelli – a company that has improving road safety as one of its core missions – is delighted to get behind the charity and Tyre Safety Month, which takes place in October. Some of the facts may be shocking, but tyre checking doesn't have to be an onerous task. The activities around Tyre Safety month are promoted by Pirelli in such a way to make them an enjoyable social occasion linking local communities.
Pirelli is an active supporter of this significant initiative, which highlights the importance of tyre safety on everyday roads by asking people to really focus and think about the importance of keeping their tyres in good conditions. All too often this is an aspect of motoring that is overlooked, but the link between well-maintained tyres and safer roads is a well-established one.
Last year the focus was tyre tread depth and Pirelli teamed up with Pro-Align, a company that produces wheel alignment equipment, to utilise an innovative tyre tread depth measurement system. Events were held at both Pirelli's Burton and Carlisle sites: the two advanced factories based in the UK. Tread depths of over a thousand employees' cars were checked by the machine, as well as players' cars from both local football teams, Carlisle United and Burton Albion: spreading the message as wide as possible.
These efforts didn't go unnoticed and at the annual TyreSafe Awards, hosted by the charity, Pirelli was presented with the ‘Safety in the Community' accolade.
The campaign this year is ‘Don't Chance It, Check It' and it's encouraging motorists to check all elements of their tyres including tread depth and tyre pressure regularly. Motorists should be checking their tyres at least once a month, but there are very few people who actually do this, which can mean that tyres are already illegal or very under inflated for long periods of time. So please, check your tyres when you next go to your car.
An easy way to check tread depth is the 20 pence test. Simply place a 20p coin into the main tread grooves of your tyre. If the outer band of the 20p coin is obscured when it is inserted, then your tread is above the legal limit. If the outer band of the coin is visible, then your tyres may be illegal and unsafe and should be checked immediately by a qualified tyre professional. When taking the test, remember to check at least three locations around each tyre to get an even picture of the wear.
If motorists are unsure about checking their own tyres, most tyre dealers will check tyres free of charge and provide advice. This includes the Pirelli Performance Centres (PPCs), a network of carefully selected, audited tyre dealers that offer the highest possible standards of service. To find your nearest PPC (in the UK) please visit: www.pirelli.co.uk/ppc.
More information about TyreSafe and its important work can be found here: http://www.tyresafe.org/tyre-safety or http://www.tyresafe.org/campaigns/tyre-safety-month-2016-2.
