A Rise In Tyre-Related Breakdowns Raises Concerns For Drivers

Recent figures indicate a rise in tyre-related breakdowns on motorways and A-roads in recent months.

In fact, one in seven vehicle breakdowns reported over the first weekend of the summer holidays were tyre-related, with traffic officers attending each of them.

And with more than one-third of all tyre-related breakdowns being due to vehicle issues, experts are urging drivers to give their vehicles a check before heading off on any journeys over the summer.

What Does It Mean For Fleets?

As any fleet owner will know, the summer holidays bring a fair amount of traffic with them.

Despite it being a wet start to the holidays, people will still be heading off around the country over the next few weeks, particularly towards the August Bank Holiday weekend.

And as we all know, busy roads and more traffic density is bound to lead to more traffic, breakdowns and incidents…

Which means drivers need to be extra cautious as they head out onto the roads in the coming weeks.

Plus, this coupled with the issues posed by potholes represents a real cause for concern for fleet owners as repair costs rise.

In fact, recent figures show that roadside recovery companies are attending almost 50,000 breakdowns every day in the UK as a result of damage caused by potholes.

The figures were the highest on record with almost 1,600 breakdowns a day being attended in May.

Punctures and suspension damage as a result of potholes are more common than you think, particularly when potholes are deeper than you think.

What Should Fleets Look Out For?

Whether it’s vehicle defects, potholes or even an increase in traffic levels, everything poses a risk for fleets and drivers.

Let’s face it, running a fleet is about mitigating risk and making sure things are as safe as can be… but things still go wrong sometimes.

For example, many people have criticised the negative cycle of pothole repairs which has seen some local authorities opt for cheaper solutions to fill in potholes, which inevitably deteriorate much quicker.

The problem with that option is that the pothole will need to be fixed again in a much shorter period than if it was filled in properly.

But there is a bigger picture here – potholes impact road safety.

With figures indicating a 14% rise in wheel changes since the same period last year, it’s clear there’s a big problem.

Between that an increase in tyre-related breakdowns, it’s clear that vehicle safety is more important than ever.

Are potholes a serious issue for you? And have you noticed an increase in tyre-related issues with your vehicles?

Let us know your thoughts on the state of the roads you use and whether it’s having an impact on your vehicle’s safety in the comments below…