Demon drains spell danger for UK motorists

They say when it rains it pours; if Local Authority engineers haven’t got enough to contend with in repairing Britain’s crumbling roads, new research by premium tyre manufacturer, Continental, highlights motorists’ concerns over the lack of investment in highway drainage and its effect on road safety.  Nearly three quarters of UK motorists (71%) claimed to have experienced a loss of control by hitting an unexpected wet section of the road with a shocking one in ten having had an accident caused by skidding on a wet road. 

The findings follow two weeks of heavy downpours across the UK leaving excess water on many roads.  With a reported 10 year back log to repair Britain’s roads[1], and limited investment earmarked to improve highway drainage, Continental is urging authorities to consider alternatives to reducing accidents in the wet.

According to Continental’s research, more than half of UK drivers know nearby roads that are regularly flooded – with nothing being done to fix the problem – and two fifths have had to turn round thanks to a flooded road.  More than a third (36%) said that they believed their local road drainage systems were ineffective, with more than one in ten putting it ahead of problematic speed humps or potholes as their biggest gripe. 

Some 258,404[2] people were killed, seriously injured or injured in road accidents in 2006 and nearly a third of these occurred in wet conditions.  With a worrying one in ten accidents in the wet caused by worn tyres[3], Uniroyal believes that a change in the legal tread depth limit from 1.6mm to 3mm is long overdue.

Recent tests undertaken at MIRA (The Motor Industry Research Association) discovered that tyres with a 3mm tread had 25 per cent better performance in wet conditions than those with 1.6mm representing an extra eight metres, or 25ft in stopping distances.

However, Continental’s research uncovered a worrying lack of awareness amongst UK motorists.  When asked, nearly half (45%) didn’t know the legal minimum tread depth, with one in ten guessing even lower than 1.6mm and 1% believing there was no minimum at all.  A third of drivers confessed to only checking their tread depth every six months, with 12% checking just once a year, 5% even less than that and a foolhardy 14% having never checked at all. 

Roger Sanders from Continental said:  “Tyre tread patterns are designed to cut through water from the road surface and provide maximum grip.  The more a tyre is worn, the less effective it is in performing this task efficiently and must be replaced.  While no-one is suggesting that 1.6 mm tyre tread depth is not safe, with the number of accidents in wet weather increasing and a climate which is now much more susceptible to heavy rain, there is a real need to re-evaluate tyre tread depths.”

Many organisations have joined the call for drivers to change their tyres at 3mm, including The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) which has been recommending that drivers change their tyres at 3mm tread depth since 2005.  Kevin Clinton, head of road safety for RoSPA, said:  “Driving on slicks is great for a race track but not on UK roads and we strongly recommend that motorists check their tread depth often and ensure that all tyres are replaced once they get to 3mm.”

Worryingly, there are plenty of vehicles on our roads that have less than 3mm of tread. Recent research by Tyresafe suggests that one in four vehicles on the road has at least one tyre which is below the legal tread limit of 1.6mm.  With accidents increasing by up to 40 per cent in wet conditions[4], Continental is urging all motorists to be extra vigilant and check tyres at least every two weeks.

Roger Sanders continues:  “With over 3,500 road deaths a year, what bigger incentive can there be for drivers to check their tyres more frequently and if the tread depth is below 3mm seriously consider replacing them..”

For further information on the 3mm campaign, visit www.tyresforlife.co.uk.

Notes to editor – how the regions compare

Worst roads

North West – 70% of those questioned believed their roads were poorly maintained

Wales – 64% of those questioned believed their roads were poorly maintained

Scotland – 59% of those questioned believed their roads were poorly maintained

South West – 58% of those questioned believed their roads were poorly maintained

Midlands – 56% of those questioned believed their roads were poorly maintained

London – 51% of those questioned believed their roads were poorly maintained

South East – 48% of those questioned believed their roads were poorly maintained

North East – 44.26% of those questioned believed their roads were poorly maintained

Regularly flooded roads

South West – 68% of those questioned said that they knew of local roads that were regularly flooded

Scotland – 67% of those questioned said that they knew of local roads that were regularly flooded

Midlands – 66% of those questioned said that they knew of local roads that were regularly flooded

Wales – 63% of those questioned said that they knew of local roads that were regularly flooded

North West – 62% of those questioned said that they knew of local roads that were regularly flooded

South East – 55% of those questioned said that they knew of local roads that were regularly flooded

North East – 52% of those questioned said that they knew of local roads that were regularly floodedLondon – 46% of those questioned said that they knew of local roads that were regularly flooded

[1] According to the Asphalt Industry Alliance

[2] According to the DfT

[3] According to West Mercia Police

[4] Norwich Union Insurance