Road safety and tyre maintenance

Modern vehicles are overwhelmingly better than they used to be in every area, and not least in the protection they offer to those inside.

Improvements in vehicle safety have contributed significantly to reducing road deaths and injuries and will continue to do so.  However, without a regular vehicle check and maintenance record, all the modern design and technology goes to waste. During a recent tyre roadside workshop, in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police and the Tyre Industry Council, Devon County Council Road Safety Officers found 1 in 8 vehicles had defective tyres.

Also, in checks throughout 2005 on the quality and fitting of child restraints in Devon cars around 50% were found to be defective, unsuitable for the child or the vehicle or, fitted in such a way as to be either dangerous or of no practical use in the event of a sudden stop.

What Devon County Council is doing to help

• We hold seminars to educate the car trade about standards and systems
• We check on car servicing and the sales of unroadworthy vehicles
• We support police checks on lorries, caravans, minibuses and school buses
• We check seat belts – their use and condition
• All our contracted school buses have seat belts fitted
• All contracted cars and smaller vehicles have their operators checked
• Checks on child car seats – to make sure they are safe
• What you can do to help

• Visit the Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) website. Euro NCAP provides motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe
• If you buy a new vehicle, compare safety features and check out the crash test results
• If you buy a second hand vehicle, get someone qualified or experienced to carry out a car inspection with you and check for safety
• Keep your car well maintained. Most models on the road today have good, simple tips in the logbook. Check the tyres, brakes, lights and wipers at least once a week
• Always use your seat belts, including in the back
• If you have a child car seat, get it properly fitted. Don’t buy second hand.
• Never fit a rear facing infant carrier in a seat protected by an airbag
• Don’t sit too near the steering wheel
• Remove any bull bars
• Keep an eye out in the press for any manufacturer vehicle recalls.

Choosing a Safer Vehicle

Looking for a new or second hand vehicle? It is important to consider what features are most important to you and your family. Below are some things for you to consider when looking for a new car.

• Euro NCAP rating (New Car Assessment Programme) provides motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe. Visit the Euro NCAP website.
• Airbags:  Most modern vehicles are fitted with a driver’s airbag, with many now also fitted with passenger and side airbags (SIPS). Rearward facing child seats should never be used if there is a passenger airbag due to the risk of injury to the child. Visit the child in car safety page(CICS)
• ABS (Anti-Locking System):  ABS prevents the wheels locking during heavy and emergency braking. This allows the driver to steer around an obstruction safely and can minimise stopping distances. ABS training
• Seat Belts:  Modern cars have inertia seat belts which automatically lock the belt during hard braking. Look for three-point belts for all the seats, including the centre rear seat.
• Brake Lights:  Most modern cars have a third, high, centrally mounted brake light, which provides extra warning to following motorists.
• History:  Find out as much as you can about the vehicle’s history. Check the V5 (Logbook) service, finance insurance records, MOT certificates and receipts where available.
• DVLA for vehicle details, insurance, MOT and road tax data
• Check car finance Information (Hire Purchase), online.
• Condition:  Check the vehicle is in a good condition, there are many motoring organisations that offer vehicle safety checks or take a knowledgeable friend with you.

Tyres maintenance

Devon County Council Road safety officers, in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police and The Tyre Industry Council (TIC) regularly take part in roadside tyre safety checks.

During a recent roadside check, over 130 vehicles were checked, with an alarming 1 in 8 vehicles found to have defective tyres. The defects ranged from worn treads, badly perished tyres to one vehicle that had worn through to the steal re-enforcing of the tyre.  Nigel Weymouth from ATS Euro master (TIC) stated that this particular vehicle was at a very high risk of having a high speed blow-out which could result in serious or even possibly fatal injuries.

As part of the safety check, all the drivers were asked if they knew the legal minimum tread depth for their vehicle. Only 17 drivers out of 132 knew that the minimum tread depth for a car or Light commercial vehicle is 1.6 mm.

With winter approaching fast, all the drivers were reminded that regular tyre checks are very important and could save your life.

The Law

• Tyres on cars must have a tread depth of at least 1.6 mm* across the central three-quarters of the breadth of tread+ and in a continuous band around the entire circumference of the tyre. *
• Tyres must be suitable (i.e. of the correct type and size) for the use to which the vehicle is being put and must be inflated to the vehicle or tyre manufacturers’ recommended pressures.
• Tyres of different types must not be fitted to opposite wheels of the vehicle
• No tyre must have a break in its fabric or a cut deep enough to reach the body cords. No cut must be more than 25 mm or 10 per cent of the tyre’s section width in length, whichever is the greater.
• There must be no lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial fracture of its structure, neither must any portion of the ply nor cord structure be exposed.

Tyre maintenance checks

Tyre life improves when they are maintained. As new rubber costs so much, a few minutes of checks can make savings on road costs.

• Tyre pressures differ from one vehicle to another. The tyre wall provides details on the expected and recommended pressures for your vehicle make and model.
• Ensure tyre valves are clean of debris that can easily cause damage.
• Remove unwanted stones or foreign objects from within the tyre tread.
• Correct steering alignment is another crucial aspect of good tyre care, as it prevents scuffing or uneven wear on the inside of the tyre walls.
• Tracking wheels is cheap and easy to do. It prevents steering wobble and improves road safety. In some instances, you may feel wobbles in the seat area whilst driving at speed. Usually, this is caused by rear tyre alignment issues.

Use the following link to run your own free car check report. Here you can see a previous certificate with Citroën C4 specifications.