TyreSafe has announced a new partnership with The Automobile Association (AA), one of the UK’s leading motoring organisations, as official supporters. This collaboration marks a significant step in advancing road safety, particularly in addressing the impact of poorly maintained or illegal tyres. These continue to be a major cause of breakdowns on UK roads, but more importantly, pose a significant risk to road users as a causational factor in fatal or serious road traffic incidents. The latest statistics from the DfT show that 190 people were killed or seriously injured in incidents related to defective tyres in 2023, which was an increase of 29% on 2022 and the highest number of causalities since 2018.
In addition, according to data from National Highways, one in five, vehicle breakdowns on motorways and A roads result from tyre defects – equating to roughly 50,000 breakdowns each year on the motorway network alone.
The AA has a rich history dating back to 1905, dedicated to promoting road safety and assisting motorists in times of need. With over a century of experience, the AA offers a broad range of services to its members, from roadside assistance and vehicle inspections to motoring advice and safety campaigns. Last year alone, the AA attended over 620,000 tyre-related faults—many of which could have been avoided by performing simple tyre checks before driving. The partnership follows the AA’s own ‘Get a Grip’ campaign, that was launched in the late spring of 2024 to urge drivers to perform vital, basic tyre checks to avoid a ‘summer tyre tragedy’.
The campaign was underpinned by a survey of 13,807 AA members, which revealed that nearly half (47%) wouldn’t know where to look if asked to check the age of their tyres, and over one in ten (13%) wrongly assume this is covered in the MOT test. This oversight can prove costly, as tyre defects were responsible for 1,825 serious injuries and fatalities over a 10 year period between 2014 and 2023. Over the same period, 248 motorcyclists were involved in fatal or serious collisions where defective tyres where a factor,
Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said “This partnership is an exciting opportunity to work closely with such a respected organisation like the AA, whose influence and reach will help us spread crucial tyre safety messages to millions of road users. Illegal or poorly maintained tyres are one of the leading causes of breakdowns, and by joining forces, we aim to significantly reduce these incidents and improve road safety across the UK.”
Greg Carter CAE AMIMI,Technical Specialist, Public Affairs, Policy and Polling at the AA said: “At the AA, we are proud to support TyreSafe and their mission to improve tyre safety. With tyre-related breakdowns accounting for a substantial portion of the calls we receive each year, we recognise the importance of education in preventing these incidents. More importantly, is the worrying lack of understanding about how performing simple checks can prevent not only a breakdown, but at worst, a tyre tragedy. Through this partnership, we aim to help drivers better understand how a few simple checks can make a big difference in keeping them safe on the road.”
With the support of the AA, TyreSafe’s campaign to promote regular tyre maintenance will reach a broader audience, ensuring more drivers are equipped with the knowledge to prevent tyre-related issues before they become a hazard.
AA Cars is the UK’s largest vehicle provider, offering a range of services including vehicle inspections, AA Cars Standards (ensuring minimum standards like a 6-month MOT, test drives, and available service records), a Dealer Promise for customer care, exclusive breakdown cover, car buying advice, car finance options, and a history check on every vehicle.
Source: Tyretradenews
