Neglecting your tyres is a common mistake which leads to loss of fuel efficiency and, in some cases, accidents; we explain how easy tyre maintenance is and the benefits it will have for your business.

1. Tyred and
testedyou
everything
need to know
about tyres

2. Tyred and tested
1.5
… is the number of motorists who
are risking danger and death on UK
roads because they are driving on
bald tyres, according to research
Million
carried out by Swiftcover Insurance.
The Bald Truth
9,639 drivers were convicted for driving with defective or
dangerous tyres in 2011; more worryingly, dodgy tyres made
up over two-thirds of the serious ‘vehicle defects’ category
(that features other life-stoppers such as broken brakes and
steering components).

3. Ignorance is not
a Defence
According to Swiftcover’s survey, drivers are claiming
ignorance about defective tyres as their first and last
line of defence; over 85% of drivers don’t know that
85
% 36
%
dangerous tyres can see them dragged into court.
And 36% of drivers admitted that they never check
their tyres’ tread depth.
Crime and Punishment
A shonky set of tyres could see you banned from driving in one go.
Expect the following:
Three penalty points for each defective tyre
Up to £2,500 in fines for each defective tyre
Grand total for driving with four defective tyres = 12 points on
your licence, up to £10,000 in fines and a potential ban.

4. Keep an Eagle Eye on the Legal
Make sure your tyres are roadworthy:
• Tread must be 1.6mm or over across the
central three-quarters of the tyre and the
entire circumference
• Tears and cuts that are over 25mm or 10% of
the tyre’s width could see you fined. If you
crash and such imperfections are subsequently
found, it could invalidate your insurance.
• Keep an eye out for lumps and bulges in tyre
sidewalls; they could mean the tyre’s structure
is about to fail.

5. How do I Check my Tyre’s Tread?
It’s not rocket science and it could save your licence.
All you need is a 20p piece:
• Inspect the tyre for lumps and bulges; run your
hands round the inward-facing sidewall of the
tyre to feel for blemishes
• Place the 20p between the tread on the centre
of the tyre
• If the border of the 20p (that measures a mere
2.5mm) is obscured by the tread, then your
tyres are safe.

6. High Times for High Rollers
Humble tyres are high rollers for
their makers; some 35 million
tyres are sold in Britain each year
and over 150 million are being
used on our roads today. over 150 million
are being used on
our roads today.
So The Fuelcard Company was
glad when tyre manufacturers
unveiled a label scheme recently
to help company drivers make 35 million
more informed choices about tyres are sold in
Britain each year
what rubber to purchase.

7. What’s in a Label?
There are over 300 different sorts of tyre to choose from. Confused? We don’t blame you, but
industry labels help demystify such a packed market. It features all the information a driver
will need to make an informed buying choice:
Fuel efficiency graded out An A-graded tyre can
of seven (what resistance outperform a tyre that’s rated
the tyre offers) G by 7.5% in fuel efficiency
Safety graded out of Yes, the former will cost more
seven (how the tyre’s grip to buy upfront but it could save
performs in the wet) on fuel costs in the long term
Maximise those savings by
Noise levels (how loud
signing up for one of our
the tyre is on the road)
company fuel cards.

8. Print This Out, Keep Your Licence
Save money, save your licence, save lives – look after your tyres:
Do the 20p test; Banish the Wipe away those
it takes seconds bulge; check insurance fears by
and could save tyres for lumps checking for tears on
thousands your tyre

9. For information on our company fuel cards,
visit our compare fuel cards page for full
details on the range that includes Texaco
FastFuel fuel cards, Shell CRT fuel cards,
Keyfuels fuel cards and Esso Commercial
fuel cards.
And for fuel concerns, download
our eGuide ‘Save fuel, time
and money: our round up SAVE F E
UEL,EL, TIM
AND E F U TINEY:
of the best apps’ now! OUR SAVMONEO MUP OF
ROUN MND
E
A N D U Y:
THE B R RD UP O PPS
O
OUESTBEST A
A F
THE PPS
1 www.f
uelcards.
co.uk
Download Free eGuide Now .uk
rds.co
fuelca
www.
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