Tyre safety month hits The One Show

10/25/2011 4:19 AM EST

October’s tyre safety month has received a significant boost following a major television feature on BBC TV’s The One Show, last night.
The five minute report highlighted the dangers of driving on illegal tyres by showing the dramatic increase in stopping distances when using tyres with insufficient tread depth. One startled motorist, who had been found by the show’s production team to be driving on illegal tyres, was then shown how to check their tyre tread depth quickly and easily using TyreSafe’s 20p test.
“Driving on defective and illegal tyres continues to be a massive problem in the UK and is the reason for scores of road casualties each year,” explains Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “Highlighting the problem on such a high-profile, prime time TV slot will give our campaigns a major boost and help us to educate and remind drivers about their tyre maintenance responsibilities.”
The One Show is BBC One’s flagship magazine programme, broadcasting every weekday evening to an audience of around 5 million viewers. As well as conducting some tests on illegal tyres at Rockingham race circuit in Northamptonshire, the programme makers also visited National Tyres and Autocare in Northampton to see for themselves the poor condition of tyres being removed from vehicles every day.
Figures recently released by the Department for Transport showed that in 2010, more than 1,200 motorists were injured in tyre related accidents. The number of drivers killed in the UK over the last five years as a result of illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres now stands at 164.
During tyre safety month, hundreds of garages and tyre dealers around the UK are offering drivers free tyre safety checks. Additionally, TyreSafe has developed a number of new online resources, such as the 20p test and its ‘Magnificent 7’ tyre tips, to help keep drivers safe and legal.
For more information about tyre safety or tyre safety month, visit www.tyresafe.org.
Notes
TyreSafe is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of correct tyre maintenance and the dangers of defective and worn tyres.
In 2009, TyreSafe was awarded with the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in recognition of its achievements in raising awareness about the dangers associated with driving on defective and worn tyres.
TyreSafe supports the government’s ACT ON CO2 campaign which promotes Smarter Driving tips to help cut CO2 emissions from driving.
TyreSafe is a signatory to the European Road Safety Charter which aims to reduce road fatalities.
TyreSafe is a supporter of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety which aims to make roads safer and save lives.
Useful Links
TyreSafe – www.tyresafe.org
Twitter – www.twitter.com/tyresafe @TyreSafe
Facebook – www.facebook.com/tyresafe
YouTube - www.youtube.com/user/TyreSafe
Flickr – www.flickr.com/tyresafe
PR Contact
Danny Rughoobeer
Red Marlin
 
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