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Worn tyres can be even more dangerous than using a mobile phone behind the wheel
Study shows tyres worn to legal limit increase stopping distance at 70mph to 123m, exceeding the 111.5m distance caused by mobile phone use, highlighting safety concerns.
- Professor Peter Wells, Director of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University, found that worn tyres can be more dangerous than phone use, with stopping distances at 70mph increasing from 96 metres to 123 metres.
- Halfords created a video comparing driving scenarios that shows vehicles with worn tyres failing to stop before hitting a barrier, while phone distraction increases stopping distance to 111.5 metres.
- A survey of 2,000 drivers via OnePoll revealed 10 per cent only check tyres during services while 30 per cent test them a few times a year; 29 per cent are unaware of legal tread limits.
- Respondents to the OnePoll study suggested regulatory changes, with 31 per cent supporting a legal limit increase beyond 1.6mm and 53 per cent arguing for stricter penalties on less grippy tyres.
- Adam Pay of Halfords emphasized that the legal minimum should not be mistaken for a safety benchmark, noting that tyre performance degrades before reaching current limits and raising questions about regulatory sufficiency.
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26 Articles
Calls for change in tyre legal limit of 1.6mm as research reveals dangers
A new academic study has revealed that the current tyre legal limit of 1.6mm could increase stopping distances more than if a driver is on their phone. The data suggests that current legal limits are, therefore ,too low. The study, conducted by Professor Peter Wells, the Director of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University and commissioned by Halfords, found that on average, phone usage increases reaction times for braki…
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Total News Sources26
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center16Last UpdatedBias Distribution94% Center
Bias Distribution
- 94% of the sources are Center
94% Center
C 94%
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