ROAD safety champion GEM Motoring Assist (GEM) is urging all motor manufacturers to include an accurate tyre pressure-measuring device as part of its spare tyre equipment kit.

It says that defective or under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor in the death of 43 motorists in 2007 and played a part in nearly 1,000 further accidents.

David Williams, Chief Executive of GEM, is supporting the work of campaigning organisation TyreSafe that argues tyres play a fundamental role in the performance and safe handling of a car. He says: “Many gauges on fuel station forecourts are not accurate and constant use of them could give drivers a false sense of security. Including an easy to use digital tyre pressure reader as part of the tool kit of any new car with simple instructions of how and when to use it would cost very little to the vehicle manufacturer and be a real safety benefit for the owner.”

TyreSafe recently conducted a survey that found that nearly half of motorists asked admitted to not checking their tyre pressure in the last month, the maximum period recommended by safety organisations.

David added: “People are very neglectful about checking their tyres and that is reflected in more than one million MOT failures in 2007/08 as a result of tyre defects – the fourth most common reason for an MOT failure.

“Driving on under inflated tyres also causes additional and uneven wear – running a tyre at just 80 per cent of the recommended pressure can reduce tyre life by 75 per cent. Under-inflation also affects fuel economy. Under-inflated tyres are especially dangerous as heat can build up to excessive levels over a long distance potentially causing a blow out and loss of control of the vehicle.”

Detailed information on tyre safety can be found within the motoring advice section of the highly informative GEM website www.motoringassist.com by following the link ‘cars’.

GEM concerns itself with the safety of all roads users and is a not for profit organisation that provides services to nearly 60,000 members. Its charitable arm produces free road safety literature, campaigns for safer driving and roads, finances research and rewards those that work for road safety.

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