Tyre safety blitz as Highways England works to drive down incidents

Tyre safety blitz as Highways England works to drive down incidents

Highways England is marking the end of Tyre Safety Month by revealing a series of initiatives it is developing or already delivering to help drive down the number of people killed and injured on the country’s motorways and major A roads.

The government company is working to slash road casualties by 40% by 2020 and believes focusing on tyre safety will have an important contribution over the next few years.

In 2016, tyre-related incidents along Britain’s roads led to eight fatalities and 120 serious injuries. Working with partners as diverse as the NHS and tyre manufacturers, Highways England is exploring and experimenting with a series of innovative projects to help family drivers, commuters and commercial drivers alike keep tyres in tip-top condition and reduce the number of breakdowns and blow-outs on the road network.

Stuart Lovatt, Highways England’s Road Safety Lead, said: “Tyre failure is often due to incorrect inflation or worn treads. This can lead to everything from frustrating congestion caused by breakdowns to catastrophic collisions and tragic loss of life.

“We are committed to dramatically reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on our motorways and major A roads. A focus on tyre safety will be a key activity for us over the next few years with an emphasis on reaching out to particularly vulnerable road users.”