Urgent road warning as struggling drivers put off changing tires for longer due to cost of living crisis

AN URGENT road warning has been issued as motorists put off changing their tires for long periods amid the cost of living crisis.

As prices continue to rise in the UK, research has shown that more is more dangerous cars left on the road as people try to save on new wheels.

More cars are seen with low tire tread THAT – a problem that reduces the traction and braking characteristics of vehicles.

Two-thirds of motorists now say they are more likely to put off changing their tires and will try to use them longer because of the increased cost of living.

Alarming data from a car dealer Halfords shows that 13 percent of cars are now missing maintenance based on tire condition.

What’s more, three in ten cars now receive a “tyre advisory” during MOT – a warning which, while not illegal, means tires have less than 3mm of tread and could become illegal in a few months.

Many cars that receive warnings will be approaching the 1.6mm limit, meaning they are likely to become illegal much earlier.

Despite the danger, only 27 percent of motorists say they would change their tires immediately if they were warned during an MOT.

Most alarming of all, 14 percent say they’ll wait until performance deteriorates noticeably — for example, they stop gripping or braking well — before changing them.

Figures suggest millions of cars on UK roads currently have illegal tires and many more will become illegal before the next MOT.

The research found that only 32% of motorists regularly check the condition of their tyres, while 28% admit they never do.

The problem is compounded by the fact that only a quarter of UK motorists know current legal minimum tread depthso even if they did check, they wouldn’t know what to look for.

Another 8 percent don’t even know what a tire tread is.

It is known that worn tires can have a dangerous effect on the driving quality of the car.

The difference in braking distance between tires with 4 mm or tread and tires with the legal minimum of 1.6 mm is a whopping 36 percent in the same wet driving conditions, which equates to an extra 89 feet at 70 mph.

Analysis of the latter Department of Transport figures show that a crash on UK roads caused by faulty tires or brakes occurs every seven hours.

Halfords chief executive Graham Stapleton said: “These figures continue to show the direct impact of the cost of living crisis on motorist safety.

“When a tire warning is issued, it can mean that the tires may become illegal in a few kilometers. Nevertheless, the vast majority of motorists say that they would not change them right away.

“We see this in the number of vehicles that are found to have unsafe tires during inspections.”

Neil Greig, Director of Policy and Research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “The importance of purchasing high-quality tires cannot be understated.

“Good tread depth is important for safe driving and facilitates efficient acceleration, cornering and braking.

“We would like to point out to drivers who are hesitant to buy new tires that the financial and emotional cost is far less than a fine or the worry of an avoidable accident.”