As the season of love approaches, TyreSafe, the UK’s tyre safety charity, is urging drivers to express their love for their significant others by ensuring their vehicles are equipped with healthy tyres. With bad weather often hitting in February, taking a few moments for simple tyre checks could be the difference between romance and ruin. .

According to a recent study of over half a million tyres by the charity, over 6 million tyres in the UK have illegal tread each year, which could lead to a fine of up to £2,500 per tyre and 3 penalty points. Not only could this be a total romance killer, but put drivers and their passengers at risk of a tyre related accident. 

A study by National Highways, a TyreSafe road safety partner, also estimates that 1 in 5 vehicle breakdowns on motorways and A roads result from tyre defects. This equates to roughly 50,000 breakdowns each year on the motorway network alone. So if you’re whisking someone away on a romantic night out this Valentine’s Day, simple tyre checks could prevent your event from coming to a premature end. 

With the DVSA citing that over 2 million MOT failures occur each year due to tyre defects, with one million classified as dangerous, you may want to avoid unnecessary retests if you’re relying on your vehicle this Valentine’s Day. Tyres are the primary cause of MOT failures in the first seven years of a vehicle’s life, and it’s simple and easy to check your tyres to make sure yours isn’t one of them.

Checking your tyres, and those of a loved one, this Valentine’s Day, is a practical, simple and quick way to express your love and help keep those around you safe.  TyreSafe uses the simple acronym ‘A.C.T’ – to help drivers perform simple checks. 

Air pressure – The air pressure of each tyre should also be checked using an accurate gauge. Typically, car manufacturers recommend two different tyre pressures, one for light loads and another for when the vehicle is fully loaded. It’s essential that drivers adjust the pressures to accommodate the load they are carrying. These settings can be found in the vehicle handbook, on reputable internet tyre pressure charts such as the one at tyresafe.org, and often in the vehicle’s fuel filler cap or door sill.

Condition – with a visual check, looking at the overall condition of each tyre to see if anything might have penetrated the tread, such as nails or other objects. If any of these objects, cracks or bulges are present, the driver should seek professional advice immediately.

Tread – drivers should check the tread of their tyres to ensure they are above the UK legal  tread depth minimum of 1.6mm. Ideally an accurate tread depth gauge should be used but if this is not available, a 20p coin can be used as a guide. Insert the 20p into the main sections of the tyre and at various points around the circumference – should you see the outer rim at any point, you need to have the tread depth checked as it may be illegal.

Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe Chair said “Your tyres are the only point of contact with the road, and this Valentine’s Day, why not show how much you care by checking yours and your loved ones’ tyres. Our love for our friends and family often drives us to ensure their safety. A simple act like checking their tyres can be a lifesaver. Don’t wait for a breakdown to show your love; do it proactively this Valentine’s Day and across the rest of the year.”

TyreSafe supporters can share the message of tyre safety this Valentine’s Day by using the hashtag #LoveYourTyres on social media.  There are campaign materials, including artwork, available for supporters to download and use on their own channels to help support the campaign.