Think tyre pressure is a load of hot air? Tyre-related breakdowns a cause for concern in South West according to National Highways 

New data shows that around one in seven vehicle breakdowns on England's major A-roads and motorways were tyre-related during the first weekend of the summer getaway in 2023. 

National Highways traffic officers attended a total of 756 reported breakdowns across the country with 124 of those related to tyres over Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July 2023. 

Data from last year shows that between June and August 2022, there was a total 1,287 tyre-related breakdowns in the South West region.  

The worst road for tyre-related breakdowns was the M5 which had 841 recorded against it closely followed by the M4 which had 397. Elsewhere, on the M32 there were 21 tyre issues with a further 15 on the M49. 

And with the summer getaway now officially underway, motorists are being reminded to have a safe T.R.I.P and follow National Highways new vehicle checklist.  

National Highways Head of Road Safety, Jeremy Phillips said: "These figures are a real cause for concern, and we'd urge people to check their tyres are in good condition before setting off this summer.  

"Our advice is for motorists is to make sure the tyres are correctly inflated according to the load and ensure there is plenty of tread on them. We'd say good tyre tread is an important safety factor for any journey but especially so in changeable weather conditions such as heavy and sudden downpours which we've seen over recent weeks. 

"It's also important to check the windscreen wipers work properly and all your lights are functioning before heading off." 

In July and August 2022, National Highways traffic officer patrols dealt with more than 21,000 breakdowns on motorways across England, with August seeing the highest number of breakdowns in the year.  

More than a third (34%) of breakdowns during these two months were caused by vehicle-related issues.  

Meanwhile almost one out of four (23%) people agree checking tyre pressure is important but don't know how to do it.  

National Highways has an online guide for checking tyres along with other vehicle preparations which can be found here: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/road-safety/TRIP