BREAKDOWN AND ROAD SAFETY organisation GEM Motoring Assist is backing Tyre Safety Month with a call for drivers to make a simple and potentially life-saving vehicle check. GEM says a five-minute winter-ready check is cheaper and safer than an avoidable roadside breakdown, especially with darker journeys, lower temperatures and more frequent rain on the horizon.
Tyres are the only parts of a vehicle that make direct contact with the road, yet each tyre has a contact patch little larger than the palm of a hand. Those four small patches must carry the vehicle’s weight, transmit braking and steering forces, and maintain grip when road conditions deteriorate.
The latest road casualty figures demonstrate why regular tyre care matters. In 2025, 201 people were killed or seriously injured in reported collisions where illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres were recorded as a contributory factor – a 19% increase on the previous year. Total casualties in such collisions rose 14%, from 585 to 667, while 447 reported collisions involved tyre defects.
GEM says that checking tyres should form part of a broader seasonal routine. A few minutes spent inspecting key safety items at home or at a fuel station can help drivers avoid a puncture, poor wet-weather grip, reduced visibility or a flat battery on a cold and wet journey.
James Luckhurst, GEM’s head of road safety, said: “These are not minor maintenance issues. The latest figures show that 201 people were killed or seriously injured last year in collisions involving illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres. That should be a wake-up call for every driver.
“Your tyres are the only components connecting your vehicle to the road, so it makes sense to give them the attention they deserve. A quick, routine check of pressures, tread and condition is one of the simplest safety actions we can take – and it is far preferable to discovering a problem on a dark, wet roadside in winter.
“Prevention is safer and cheaper than a breakdown. Checking a few basic items now can help protect us on journeys, while avoiding the disruption and expense that often follow a preventable fault.”
GEM’s five-point winter-ready tyre check
- Check tyre pressures at least once a month, including the spare where fitted. Use the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended settings and check tyres when cold.
- Check tread and tyre condition. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread around the complete circumference, but don’t wait until tyres are close to that limit. Look for cuts, bulges, cracking, embedded objects and uneven wear.
- Check the spare or repair kit. Make sure a spare tyre is correctly inflated and roadworthy, or confirm that the vehicle’s repair/inflation kit is complete, in date and that you know how to use it.
- Check wipers, screenwash and lights. Replace streaking or split wiper blades, use suitable screenwash for colder conditions, and check that all exterior lights are clean and working.
- Check the battery. Slow starting, dimming lights or an ageing battery can be warning signs. Arrange a battery test before cold weather turns a marginal battery into a no-start situation.
GEM encourages drivers to make these checks a regular habit throughout autumn and winter. Tyre Safety Month provides a valuable annual reminder, but the safety benefits come from simple checks carried out through the year.
