Research from Cardiff University indicates that worn tires pose a greater risk than using a mobile phone while driving, according to a study commissioned by Halfords. The study was led by the Director of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University. A new video shows the difference in stopping distance between a car with good tires, a car with worn tires, and a car with good tires but the driver is using a phone.
The footage shows the vehicle with worn tires crashing through a barrier that the car with good tires would have halted before. According to Cardiff University research, the braking distance of a car traveling at 70mph with good tires is 96 meters. 5 meters if the driver is distracted by their phone.
The impacts of phone usage and worn tires have never been compared before and the study suggests that purely from a stopping distance perspective, the impact of worn tires is generally worse. Of course, the impact of phone usage will be variable, but the findings offer a strong guideline as to the dangers. Drivers need to be aware that tire performance begins to become impaired long before they reach the legal limit.
If the car has worn tires that are still within legal limits, the braking distance increases to 123 meters. Halfords surveyed 2,000 motorists and discovered 10% will only inspect their wheels when the car is being serviced. 30% of motorists check their tires 'a few times a year'.
29% of motorists confessed they don't know what the legal tread limit is. 28% of motorists aren't confident they could spot when tires needed replacing. 6mm.
Most drivers know using a phone behind the wheel is dangerous. What this research shows is that tires worn down to the current legal limit can actually have an even greater impact on stopping distance. The legal minimum shouldn't be mistaken for a safety benchmark - when tires reach that point their performance is already significantly reduced, which raises an important question about whether the current limit is where it should be.
53% of motorists said driving with less grippy tires should result in stricter penalties.