Police stopped 137 drivers in Bolton for spot checks on their tyres as part of efforts to tackle one of the lesser-known cause of road casualties.
Defective tyres are just as dangerous as the traditional ‘Fatal 4’ road safety offences – speeding, drink or drug driving, distractions such as using a mobile phone, and not wearing seat belts – which are the main causes of road collisions resulting in death or life-changing injuries.
Worn, underinflated or damaged tyres significantly increase braking distances, reduce grip and stability, and raise the risk of losing control, particularly in wet or emergency conditions.
In 2023, 190 people across the UK were killed or seriously injured in UK incidents linked to defective tyres, comparable to the number of phone-related collisions in the same year. In 2024 this figure was 172, averaging 181 fatalities or life-changing injuries over the two-year period.
As part of National Tyre Safety Month, the Safer Roads Greater Manchester Partnership and road safety charity TyreSafe carried out roadside tyre checks to highlight the risks of worn tread and raise awareness of this often overlooked and hidden danger.
Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s Chief Network Officer, said: “Everyone knows the dangers of drink or drug driving, or speeding, but defective tyres carry just as much risk as using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
“Through Vision Zero, Greater Manchester is committed to ending deaths and life-changing injuries on our roads, and operations like these are vital to helping us achieve this aim by not only enforcing the law but educating drivers about how to stay safe.
“When you drive with defective tyres you risk putting yourself, your passengers and other road users at risk, so I’d strongly urge all drivers in Greater Manchester to regularly check their tyres and avoid potentially devastating consequences.”
The operation led by Greater Manchester Police on Manchester Road on Friday 24 October was also conducted in support of the region’s Vision Zero strategy to eliminate road deaths and life-changing injury by 2040.
Officers reported 10 drivers for tyre-related offences, with two issued with a prohibition notice preventing them from continuing their journey. Officers also made four arrests – two for driving while disqualified, one on suspicion of drug driving and one for immigration-related offences.
