The quality of the tyres are an essential component of safety. Even though the surface area of each tyre is quite small, it must ensure an optimal road grip under all weather conditions. A tyre with insufficient pressure can pose various risks. They become flatter, which increases the contact area with the road and can, certainly on hot days, lead to overheating and a blowout. They also deform more easily, reducing their braking performance. Driving with a flatter tyre will also cost you more. They wear out more quickly on the edges and have a higher fuel consumption. Excessively high tyre pressure also increases the risk of a tyre blowout and aquaplaning.
But also the tyre depth is important. Worn tyres increase the risk of aquaplanning and can decrease the grip on the road when braking or turning.
The weekend of 3 July launches the start of the summer holidays. Many people take their car to go on a roadtrip or a holiday destination in France, Spain, Austria or Switzerland. One out of 4 Belgians going on holiday plan to drive more than 1.000 kilometers. To create more awareness about the impact of tyres on road safety, Vias institute organised together with Recytyre a survey and awareness campaign for one day at a popular parking next to the highway.
During this day, tyre experts checked over 100 vehicles on the quality of the tyres. In the meantime the drivers were informed about the importance of the quality of the tyres and received guidance on how to regularly check them. Afterwards they also received a gift that they could use to measure the tyre pressure and tyre tred depth themselves.
The results were very positive. 82% of the checked vehicles had tyres of good quality. In 10% of the remaining cases the tyre pressure was too high and in 8% too low. 5% of the tyres were too worn. 12% of the drivers never checked the tyre pressure or tyre depth.