VITAL: Cold weather tyres could cut crashes
Cold weather tyres are vital in battling winter road accidents, ATS Euromaster have claimed, after figures showed 6,217 crashes were caused by snow and ice last year.
Department for Transport statistics show that treacherous conditions caused 5,070 car accidents, while a further 324 light goods vehicles were also involved in accidents due to wintery conditions.
A further 186 involved pedal bikes, with 336 involving motorcycles, 149 involving HGVs and 75 involving buses and coaches.
ATS claim that vehicle and fleet owners must now prepare their vehicles for the winter months ahead.
Peter Fairlie, Group Sales Director of ATS Euromaster, said: “Don’t wait until your light commercial vehicles become stranded and can’t make deliveries, or one of your company cars slides out of control and causes an accident.
“Fitting cold weather tyres is a straightforward and cost-effective way to help your fleet not only stay safer when the temperatures plummet, but mobile too.
“The Department for Transport statistics prove how dangerous UK roads can be during winter.
“It’s little wonder we’ve continued to see an uptake in fleet managers equipping cars and vans with cold weather tyres.”
Statistics also revealed skidding to be the most common form of accident for car and van drivers on wintery roads, with 2,198 combined cases in 2012 alone.
Cold weather tyres offer improved grip, handling, cornering and reduced braking distances below seven degrees-Celsius – at which point the performance of ‘summer’ tyres deteriorates as the rubber becomes harder and less ‘elastic’.
As a result, summer tyres suffer from reduced grip and braking ability, and deliver a less comfortable ride.
