New data shows that around 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.
National Highways traffic officers
attended a total of 756 reported breakdowns across the country
with 124 of those related to tyres over Saturday 22 and Sunday 23
July 2023.
Meanwhile, data from last year shows
that between June and August 2022, there were almost 12,000
reported tyre-related breakdowns across England’s motorway and
major A-road network.
Some of the most prominent regions for
tyre-related breakdowns included the North West region which
recorded 2,195 tyre-related breakdowns closely followed by the
West Midlands which totalled
1,974.
And with the summer getaway now
officially under way, motorists are once again being reminded to
have a safe T.R.I.P and follow the new National Highways vehicle
checklist to help them reach their destination
safely.
National Highways Head of Road Safety,
Jeremy Phillips said: “These figures are a real cause for
concern, and we’d urge people to check their tyres are in good
condition before setting off this
summer.
“Our advice for motorists is to make
sure the tyres are correctly inflated according to the load and
ensure there is plenty of tread on them. We’d say good tyre tread
is an important safety factor for any journey but especially so
in changeable weather conditions such as heavy and sudden
downpours which we’ve seen over recent
weeks.
“It’s also important to check the
windscreen wipers work properly and all your lights are
functioning before heading
off.”
National Highways On-Road Team
Manager, Tony Phipps added: “The new T.R.I.P acronym is a really
great way for people to remember some of the basic vehicle checks
they should carry out before setting off and if fuel levels are
starting to run low, our advice is to leave our network either at
a motorway service area or nearby filling station and top-up
before continuing.
“We’re also calling on motorists to
plan regular rest stops because we know that long journeys can be
tiring. We’d advise people to plan breaks on their journey and
factor these into the route. It’s a good opportunity to get out
of the vehicle and maybe grab a coffee and some fresh air for
around 15 minutes to help ward off the effects of fatigue before
carrying on with the journey.”
In July and August 2022, National
Highways traffic officer patrols dealt with more than 21,000
breakdowns on motorways across England, with August seeing the
highest number of breakdowns in the
year.
More than a third (34%) of breakdowns
during these two months were caused by vehicle-related
issues.
Meanwhile almost one out of four (23%)
people agree checking tyre pressure is important but don’t know
how to do it.
National Highways has an online guide
for checking tyres along with other vehicle
preparations which can be found here: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/road-safety/TRIP
Tips for motorway
driving:
-
never drive in a lane closed by a
Red X
-
keep to the speed limits shown on
the gantries or signs
-
a hard shoulder is always
identified by a solid white unbroken line - if there’s no
speed limit displayed above it or a Red X is displayed, do
not use it except in emergency
-
a broken white line indicates a
normal running lane
-
if the hard shoulder is being used
as an extra lane, use the designated emergency areas for
emergencies
-
if your vehicle experiences
difficulties, eg warning light, exit the motorway as soon as
possible, if you can safely do so
-
most breakdowns are preventable -
keep your car well maintained, check your tyres and make sure
you have enough fuel for your journey. Don’t stop except in
an emergency. If you have to stop make sure you know what to
do
Please visit our web page for more
information about driving on motorways.
Additional information:
-
Motorists driving in hot weather
this summer are being urged to prepare a seasonal kit to help
them and their passengers in the event of
delays
-
The top advice from National
Highways is to take plenty of drinking water with you –
enough for you and your passengers, as well as food that
won’t be affected by the heat
-
Other ideas include packing
sunblock, sunglasses (except category four), hats and a
mobile phone charger to help in case of breakdowns. If you
take medication, it is worth having a supply with you if
needed
-
You should also check
the Met Office weather
forecast for your
route and destination.
-
Almost one out of four (23%)
people agree checking tyre pressure is important but don’t
know how to do it. (Source: ICM Tyre Checks Campaign
Evaluation, 1,000 respondents)
