TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyre safety charity, has joined forces with inflation technology specialists PCL to issue a critical, mandatory warning to commercial vehicle operators and drivers: Ignoring or dismissing the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) warning light is an active failure of personal safety responsibility.
New data confirms that driver complacency and inaction are directly responsible for a major segment of road safety incidents and costly breakdowns across the UK, creating an unacceptable risk in the ‘driving for work’ sector.
The statistics are clear: tyre defects are not abstract maintenance problems; they are a driver-controlled safety risk:
1 in 5 motorway breakdowns are caused by tyre defects, according to National Highways. This accounts for over 51,000 incidents on just 3% of the road network, highlighting widespread failure in pre-journey checks.
A staggering 21% of drivers who have broken down admit their incident could have been avoided with proper tyre checks before setting off.
Despite the risks, over 50% of drivers continue to drive even when they are aware of a fault with their tyres, including 33% aware of incorrect pressure (uSwitch).
Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, states: “This is a failure of personal responsibility. The data shows that thousands of breakdowns and injuries are caused by drivers who know they have a problem or simply refuse to perform a check. The TPMS light means critical pressure loss. Ignoring it—or worse, resetting it—is equivalent to taping over the oil light. It’s dangerous, negligent, and unacceptable.”
The danger escalates dramatically for employees driving for work:
Last year, 172 people were killed or seriously injured in incidents specifically linked to defective tyres (DfT).
Tyre-related faults contribute to an estimated 600,000+ callouts annually (AA), straining resources and crippling fleet efficiency.
An under inflated tyre has a reduced contact patch with the road, severely impacting grip and leading to loss of control, aquaplaning, and greatly increased stopping distances for heavy vans and trucks.
To combat the dangerous habit of driver inaction and to bridge the confidence gap (over 30% of drivers are not confident checking pressures), TyreSafe and PCL urge all fleet managers to immediately implement a 3-Step Driver Action Guide:
Personal Risk Check: Recognise that an ignored low-pressure light drastically increases your risk of a blowout and loss of control. Do NOT ignore the warning or attempt to reset it without checking.
Find A Safe Place: Slow down immediately and find a safe, authorised location to stop. Do not continue driving at high speed.
Check & Correct: Use accurate equipment or contact an approved retailer for a free professional check. Never resume your journey until the pressure is correct.
For company car and van fleets where drivers do not return to a depot, fleet managers must consider ways to eliminate barriers which may involve; reimbursing drivers for the forecourt tyre inflation fee or mandating that drivers use a national tyre retailer for a free, professional safety check every four to six weeks, submitting proof of service.
A PCL spokesperson adds: “The small cost of compliance is an investment that avoids the large, immediate costs of breakdowns, incidents, and premature tyre replacement. By removing the financial and confidence barriers, and introducing this safety protocol, fleet operators can make immediate, high-impact improvements to safety and cost efficiency.”
Your life, and the lives of others, depends on those few minutes before you start your journey. Take responsibility.
