Car Insurance News from Be Wiser

Drivers 'Ignoring Deadly Consequences Of Under-Inflated Tyres'

Motorists are risking having to make a claim on their car insurance, serious injury and even death, by failing to inflate their tyres properly, according to TyreSafe. Statistics from the Department for Transport have revealed defective or under-inflated tyres contributed to the deaths of 43 motorists in 2007 and played a part in another 984 accidents.

Research by TyreSafe found more than half of the motorists they surveyed had not checked their tyre pressure in the last month – the maximum period recommended by the group.

The research showed that company car drivers are the most neglectful when it comes to checking tyre pressure, with less than a third of respondents having checked their pressures within the last month, compared to around half of private motorists. Tyre safety is also affected by gender as only around 38 percent of women compared to nearly nine out of ten men claiming to check their own pressures. The Chairman said nearly one life a week was lost every year as a result of defective or under-inflated tyres.

He added: "This tragic loss of life is unnecessary and could have been avoided by carrying out simple, regular checks on tyre pressure, tread depth and tyre condition."

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