Vehicles that are operating at their optimum efficiency are safer, cheaper to run and have a lesser environmental impact than those that don’t.
Despite this, there are still large quantities of vehicles on the road that are not properly maintained.
Over time, vehicles develop issues that need to be addressed. Wear and tear may mean that they don’t handle as well, that stopping distances increase, that they use more fuel and in the worst cases they can fail altogether.
That’s why vehicles need to be regualrly serviced, and if they are older, MOT’d to identify and rectify any issues.
Concerningly, at the core of the problem are the very foundations of the vehicle – the tyres. Your only point of contact with the road, they are so important but it seems that the number of motorists driving with defective tyres is currently at a worrying level.
Figures released by the Ministry of Justice reveal that nearly 10,000 people were successfully convicted in England and Wales in 2011 at a Magistrates court for driving with dangerous or defective tyres.
This area really shouldn’t be neglected primarily because it’s so important but also because its one of the easiest parts of the vehicle to maintain.
Pressures can be checked easily and it’s often free, while checking the tread is also very simple and should be done on a regular basis.
Tyre labelling is on the agenda at the moment as consumers will be able to select tyres based on their safety and environmental credentials. This will make it really clear how different tyres at different price points perform and should make it easier to make informed decisions.
Although the type of tyres that are fitted to a vehicle pale into insignificance if drivers don’t look after them, keep them properly inflated, and ensure that they are replaced once they become worn. And if not, as well as inflated costs, drivers could be sitting on some very shaky foundations.
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