Tyre safety – driver and employer’s responsibility
With over 1 million new cars being registered each year by fleets and businesses, fleet car tyre safety is important for both safety and economic reasons.
Many incidents can be avoided on the roads by carrying out just a few simple tyre checks as part of the standard daily vehicle checks all of your drivers complete.
Tyres are the only point of contact a vehicle has with the road. Basic checks, such as inspecting the air pressure and tyre tread levels plus the tyre’s overall condition, can make a crucial difference in how a vehicle performs – so while safety is paramount, there is also the benefit for fleet operators that properly maintained tyres can reduce fuel bills and have a longer life. Tyre safety is the responsibility of everyone – not just the individual company van or car driver, but also their employer who should ensure their driving policies and procedures cover tyre safety to meet their health and safety obligations.
Tyre issues were the main reason during 2021 that people broke down on National Highways roads with 41,560 people doing so, compared to 35,892 in 2020 when traffic numbers were impacted by the Covid-19 lockdowns.
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 incidents 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 road safety charity dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of correct tyre maintenance and the dangers of defective and illegal tyres, commented:
These statistics demonstrate the critical importance of tyre safety on our roads. With such large numbers of 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’s road safety 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
