Devon County Council

Modern vehicles are overwhelmingly better than they used to be in every area, and not least in the protection they offer to those inside. Improvements in vehicle safety have contributed significantly to reducing road deaths and injuries and will continue to do so.  However, if the vehicle is not regularly checked and maintained, all the modern design and technology goes to waste. During a recent tyre roadside workshop, in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police and the Tyre Industry Council, Devon County Council Road Safety Officers found 1 in 8 vehicles had defective tyres.  Also, in checks throughout 2005 on the quality and fitting of child restraints in Devon cars around 50% were found to be defective, unsuitable for the child or the vehicle or, fitted in such a way as to be either dangerous or of no practical use in the event of a sudden stop.

What Devon County Council is doing to help

• We hold seminars to educate the car trade about standards and systems
• We check on car servicing and the sales of unroadworthy vehicles
• We support police checks on lorries, caravans, minibuses and school buses
• We check seat belts - their use and condition
• All our contracted school buses have seat belts fitted
• All contracted cars and smaller vehicles have their operators checked
• Checks on child car seats - to make sure they are safe

What you can do to help

• Visit the Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) website. Euro NCAP provides motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe
• If you buy a new vehicle compare safety features and check out the crash test results
• If you buy a second hand vehicle, get someone qualified or experienced to come with you and check for safety
• Keep your car well maintained. Most models on the road today have good, simple tips in the logbook. Check the tyres, brakes, lights and wipers at least once a week
• Always use your seat belts including in the back
• If you have a child car seat, get it properly fitted. Don't buy second hand.
• Never fit a rear facing infant carrier in a seat protected by an airbag
• Don't sit too near the steering wheel
• Remove any bull bars
• Keep an eye out in the press for any manufacturer vehicle recalls.

Choosing a Safer Vehicle

Looking for a new or second hand vehicle? It is important to consider what features are most important to you and your family. Below are some things for you to consider when looking for a new car.

• Euro NCAP rating (New Car Assessment Programme) provides motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe. Visit the Euro NCAP website.
• Air Bags:  Most modern vehicles are fitted with a driver’s airbag, with many now also fitted with passenger and side airbags (SIPS). Rearward facing child seats should never be used if there is a passenger airbag due to the risk of injury to the child. Visit the child in car safety page(CICS)
• ABS (Anti-Locking System):  ABS prevents the wheels locking during heavy and emergency braking. This allows the driver to steer around an obstruction safely and can minimise stopping distances. ABS training
• Seat Belts:  Modern cars have inertia seat belts which automatically lock the belt during hard braking. Look for three-point belts for all the seats including the centre rear seat.
• Brake Lights:  Most modern cars have a third, high, centrally mounted brake light, which provides extra warning to following motorists.
• History:  Find out as much as you can about the vehicle’s history. Check the V5 (Logbook) service, finance insurance records, MOT certificates and receipts where available.
• DVLA
• Check Hire Purchase Information online.
• Condition:  Check the vehicle is in a good condition, there are many motoring organisations that offer vehicle safety checks or take an knowledgeable friend with you.

Tyres

Devon County Council Road safety Officers, in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police and The Tyre Industry Council (TIC) regularly take part in roadside tyre safety checks.

During a recent roadside check over 130 vehicles were checked with an alarming 1 in 8 vehicles found to have defective tyres. The defects ranged from worn treads, badly perished tyres to one vehicle that had worn through to the steal re-enforcing of the tyre.  Nigel Weymouth from ATS Euromaster (TIC) stated that this particular vehicle was at a very high risk of having a high speed blow-out which could result in serious or even possibly fatal injuries.

As part of the safety check all the drivers were asked if they knew the legal minimum tread depth for their vehicle. Only 17 drivers out 132 knew that the minimum tread depth for a car or Light commercial vehicle is 1.6 mm.

With winter approaching fast, all the drivers were reminded that regular tyre checks are very important and could save your life.

The Law

• Tyres on cars must have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm* across the central three-quarters of the breadth of tread+ and in a continuous band around the entire circumference of the tyre. *
• Tyres must be suitable (i.e. of the correct type and size) for the use to which the vehicle is being put and must be inflated to the vehicle or tyre manufacturers' recommended pressures.
• Tyres of different types must not be fitted to opposite wheels of the vehicle
• No tyre must have a break in its fabric or a cut deep enough to reach the body cords. No cut must be more than 25mm or 10 per cent of the tyre's section width in length, whichever is the greater.
• There must be no lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial fracture of its structure, neither must any portion of the ply or cord structure be exposed.

Tyre maintenance checks

Tyres will provide greater life if they are properly maintained. It is an inexpensive task which takes only a few minutes at regular intervals. The following seven-point check list may be helpful:

• Check the correct pressures against the manufacturer's recommendations as given in the vehicle handbook. Under-inflated tyres can cost you eight per cent more fuel (and they'll wear out faster too).
• Adjust pressures as necessary.
• Clean dirt from valves and fit valve caps all round.
• Remove stones and other foreign objects from treads.
• Have the steering alignment corrected if front tyres show signs of excessive or uneven wear.
• Examine brakes if tyres show signs of wear through wheel locking.
• Have front wheels and tyres re-balanced if there are signs of vibration, wheel wobble or patchy tyre wear.

Fault Type	Tyre	Comment
Under Inflation		Under-inflation has caused this tyre to wear on the outer edges of the tread, leaving the central tread area far less worn.
Over Inflation		Over-inflation has resulted in the central tread area being forced into contact with the road causing rapid centre and worn shoulders.
Mis-alignment		A typical example of the wear pattern caused by front wheel mis-alignment. (Toe-in or toe-out) The edge of the tread is "feathered" and worn progressively from one side. The wear ridges can be felt by drawing a hand across the tread.
Camber Wear		Excessive wheel camber has caused sloping wear on the outer edge of the tread on one shoulder of this tyre.
Illegal / dangerous wear		This tyre has been used well after reaching the legal minimum pattern depth of 1.6mm.
End of Life		This tyre has reached the legal minimum pattern depth of 1.6mm
Emergency Braking		An emergency braking manoeuvre with this tyre has caused the tyre to rapidly wear through the complete casing causing the tyre to deflate.
Cuts		Sharp objects can cause considerable damage rendering a tyre unserviceable.
Impact Damage		This is damage caused by an impact to the sidewall. The bulge or "egg" indicates localised casing damage.

All the information on tyre maintenance contained in this web page can also be downloaded in one handy leaflet. (339KB - pdf help)