Police clamp down on tyre safety

An operation has been launched by police to ensure that drivers across Greater Manchester have legal and safe tyres on their vehicles.

Greater Manchester Police has begun six road-side operations as part of Tyre Safety Month.  

Police say it's the perfect time of year to check car tyres, ahead of the cold winter months, and it's imperative that tyres can withstand the conditions to ensure safety on the roads. 

Latest figures show that in 2018 there were a total of 459 road traffic collisions across the UK as a result of illegal, defective or under inflated tyres, in which 17 people died and a further 116 suffered serious injuries. 

Police are keen to remind motorists that driving with illegal tyres could cost drivers three penalty points on their licence, as well as a fine of up to £2,500 per tyre.  

Traffic Police Community Support Officer Mark Pickford, of GMP, said: "Tyres are the only thing that connects your car to the road, so it’s important to make sure they keep you safe.

"There is an easy test to take in order to see if your tyre depth hit the safety make and all you need is a 20p piece. The outside border of the 20p should disappear if your tyres have the correct tread depth. If it doesn’t, your tyres may be below the legal limit and you could receive points and a fine.

"The legal tyre depth for cars in the UK and Europe is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre. Anything under this could be illegal." 

More information on tyre safety can be found online at www.tyresafe.org, www.theaa.com and www.rac.co.uk.