More than 40 per cent of drivers risk illegal tyres

Two fifths of UK motorists are driving with illegal tyres according to new research as drivers desperately try and save cash.

A study by consumer money-saving website, MyVoucherCodes,  polled 1,491 car-owning Britons and found that just over two fifths (41 per cent) admitted that they were currently driving their vehicle with illegal worn-down tyres. Of those, the majority (58 per cent) claimed that the ‘expense’ of new tyres was the main reason for not replacing them, despite the fact that the tread depth would be deemed as ‘illegal.’

According to the research, conducted by the company behind the MyVoucherCodes App, below are the top 10 locations across Britain that are home to those driving with ‘illegal’ tyres:

1.       Manchester – 15 % (of those driving with illegal tyres were from Manchester)

2.       Hull – 14 %

3.       Leicester – 11 per cent

4.       Plymouth – 9%

5.       Birmingham – 7%

6.       Liverpool – 5%

7.       Newport – 4%

8.       Portsmouth – 3.5%

9.       Bristol – 2.5%

10.   Glasgow – 2%

Of the total respondents polled, less than a third, 31%, claimed to have a ‘spare tyre’ in their car. Furthermore, the research revealed that less than a fifth, 19%, of those asked knew how to change a car tyre themselves.

In addition, less than half of respondents to the study, 48%, admitted to having break-down cover for their vehicle. When asked why they didn’t have the cover, the majority, 72%, cited that breakdown cover was ‘too expensive.’

Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk commented on the findings: “Having noticed an increase in the popularity of car tyre discount downloads on the MyVoucherCodes app, we thought it would be interesting to look into just how on-top of car maintenance we are as a nation. It was surprising to see that as many as two fifths of people are knowingly driving with illegal tyres, particularly given how dangerous this can be. However, tyres can be extremely expensive; and many of those asked blamed this as the main reason why they were letting their tyre standards slip. This is no excuse, however, and tyres do need to be replaced regularly in order to stay both legal and safe.”

He continued: “Unfortunately, owning a car can often incur expense without warning as things go wrong, or need replacing. We would always recommend that people check out what discounts are available to them before going down to the garage, as this really can help you save money on things that may otherwise be extremely expensive.”

Author: Faye Sunderland, March 29th, 2011
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