Tyre tread 'crucial in wet conditions'

Date: 17/10/2011

Drivers must make sure that they check the tread on their tyres in order to boost their safety this winter, an organisation has claimed.

TyreSafe has highlighted the fact that this becomes especially important when there is wet weather and warned that the months between October and January typically experience the most rainfall.

Stuart Jackson, the organisation's chairman, claimed that adequate tread depth is essential in order for the vehicle to grip the road during wet conditions.

"Drivers who fail to make sure their tyres have enough tread not only risk their own life but also that of other road users who may be involved in any subsequent tyre-related accident," he warned.

Mr Jackson advised people to perform the 20p test - in which the outer edge of a 20p coin that is inserted into a tyre's main grooves should not be visible - to determine whether they need to be replaced.

Earlier this month, Peter Rodger, chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, advised drivers to be cautious in wet conditions and to travel at a slower speed than they would in other conditions.