Tyre issues cause almost 50% of motorway breakdowns
A recent report from motor insurance loss adjuster Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA), part of the QuestGates Group, has revealed that 47.6% of all breakdowns on UK motorways and A-roads over the last three years were caused by tyre issues.
In February, National Highways confirmed that there were 5,934 tyre-related incidents on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in 2021, rising to 7,095 in 2022 and 7,762 in 2023, including blowouts which led to serious collisions. The headline findings are as follows:
SRN Breakdown Causes 2021-23
Source: CMA analysis of National Highways data
Tyre Bursts – Whose Fault?
Philip Swift, Technical Director at CMA, said: “From a fleet and insurance perspective, this new data gives a great insight into highway claims costs. The first thing we noted was that the cause of many incidents was not specified. Stripping these out, the true scale of the tyre problem became shockingly obvious – they have increased year-on-year since 2021 and now cause roughly half of all highway breakdowns.
“Carriageway closures cause huge disruption and can also lead to sizeable insurance claims involving infrastructure repair costs. Unlike out of fuel, for tyre issues you have to ask: Who was negligent? For years, we’ve been highlighting a worrying rise in ‘swerve to avoid’ and ‘tyre blowout’ claims.
He goes on to say:
“A further factor to consider is the high number of vehicles now fitted with a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). These days, there’s often hard evidence with which to either refute a claim against a driver or pursue the relevant authority if appropriate. This is an underappreciated area of motor insurance that drivers, fleet operators and insurers would be wise to gen up on.”
Tyre Safety – too often overlooked?
Tyre safety is all too often overlooked by fleet drivers and organisations. Estimates suggest that up to a third of all road traffic accidents in the UK involve at least one person who is driving for work.
One-in-seven reported vehicle breakdowns on England’s major A-roads and motorways were tyre-related during the first weekend of the summer getaway in 2023, according to National Highways.
National Highways traffic officers attended a total of 756 reported breakdowns across the country with 124 of those related to tyres on Saturday and Sunday, July 22 and 23 2023.
Data from June and August 2022 shows there were almost 12,000 reported tyre-related breakdowns across England’s motorway and major A-road network.
Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, the UK’s charity dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of correct tyre maintenance and the dangers of defective and illegal tyres, commented:
The recent findings from CMA and National Highways demonstrate the critical importance of tyre safety on our roads. With nearly half of all motorway breakdowns attributed to tyre issues, it’s evident that we must prioritise regular tyre maintenance and checks. TyreSafe is committed to raising awareness and providing resources to help drivers and fleet operators maintain their tyres properly, ensuring safer journeys for everyone. This data serves as a stark reminder that neglecting tyre safety can have serious consequences, not only for individual drivers but for all road users.
It’s clearly a cause for concern if your employees are on the roads driving for work, and one that fleet operators and driver managers can address as part of their driving for work policy and driver and vehicle safety procedures.
On the most basic level, vehicle checks are a way of ensuring that your drivers are in roadworthy vehicles that are fit for purpose before they start their working day or night. Van walkaround checks outside the vehicle should of course cover tyres, and vehicle roadworthiness checks generally should be integrated into the driver’s schedule. The award winning Van Driver Toolkit includes a series of Toolbox Talk videos you can share with your drivers on roadworthiness and a number of other key driver safety areas.
Driving and riding safely for work
There are excellent HSE resources to support employers with driving and riding for work safely and the National Highways Driving for Better Business Programme offers a free suite of online tools to help employers check that their safety policies are compliant. This is a vital first step in establishing a culture that acknowledges the recognised risks around driving for work in their organisation, and acting to reduce that risk for their drivers and for other road users.
There is also a wealth of specific help for fleet operators and driver managers in terms of fleet safety from TyreSafe, the UK charity dedicated to raising awareness of tyre, driver, and road safety awareness, focusing on the dangers of defective and illegal tyres.
Simon Turner
Campaign Manager
Driving for Better Business
