Worn tyres could be more dangerous than phone use – and cost fleets more than they think

Driving on worn tyres could be more dangerous than using a mobile phone, according to new research from Cardiff University Centre for Automotive Industry Research.

At 70mph, a car on tyres at the legal limit of 1.6mm takes around 123 metres to stop, compared to 111.5 metres with phone use and 96 metres on good tyres. In other words, worn tyres add 27 metres to stopping distance – almost three car lengths more than the impact of distraction alone.

What’s striking is how little awareness there is. Only 7% of drivers believe worn tyres are more dangerous than phone use, and fewer than a third know the legal tread limit.

For fleets, this is less about spending more and more about timing and visibility. Tyre performance starts to drop well before 1.6mm, which means waiting until the legal limit can increase both risk and cost.

Previous FleetWise case studies show the opposite approach can pay off. Companies like ArrowXL have reduced tyre usage by 25% through better management, while Michelin Connected Fleet cut both fuel and tyre costs by keeping vehicles in better condition.

Seen in that context, tyre checks are a way to control costs and keep vehicles operating efficiently as well as one of the most important safety checks.

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