One in ten in the dark this winter

One in ten British motorists will be driving with at least one faulty tyre this winter, with an on-line tyre company highlighting how little motorists know about tyre safety.

Only 9 per cent of drivers surveyed were aware that the minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm and a further 10 per cent believed that their tyres were still safe below this level, according to Rubberball.co.uk, who sell and deliver tyres via the internet.

Whilst the majority of drivers realise the number of road accidents increase during wet conditions, many still view buying tyres as a distress purchase and will wait until they are forced into buying new tyres, says Rubberball’s director Sondra Pritchard.

She explains: "In wet and slippery conditions, it is absolutely crucial to ensure your tyres are up to the job. Many people tell us they have been forced into buying new tyres due to a blow-out or because their tyres have failed an MoT.

"Tyre tread and pressure is extremely important and of course more so in wet and slippery conditions. When you consider all that is between the driver and the road are four rubber tyres you have to be confident they can do the job. Tyres needn’t be costly, especially when you look to buy them on the internet and can have them delivered straight to your door," Sondra added.

Results from the survey show that just 10 per cent checked their tyres once a week as recommended and 19 per cent checked them less than once a month.

Reasons given for not checking included laziness and that they were checked when the car was serviced.

Rubberball.co.uk, which sells tyres on-line at up to 40 per cent cheaper than normal UK prices, has found more and more customers want their tyres delivered to their place of work and home to fit in with their busy lifestyles.

"Our market research showed us that more and more people shop online to buy all sorts of things from food to a new home. No one really likes shopping for tyres, so buying online cuts out not only the hassle, but also the high cost many people expect when buying traditionally through a depot or garage," Sondra commented.