Police encourage Hemel drivers to ACT now to ensure vehicles are winter ready

As the nights draw in and the weather turns wetter and colder, Hertfordshire Police is urging motorists to make sure their vehicles are winter ready.

Winter readiness checks include ensuring tyres, lights and windscreen wipers are working and making sure oil and anti-freeze levels are correct.

Tyres are a vehicle's only point of contact with the road so motorists should ACT now to check Air Pressure, Condition and Tread.

In 2019, more than 10 motorists were prosecuted every week in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire for having defective tyres.

National statistics reveal that 1 in 5 drivers have never checked their tread depth, a figure that increases to 3 in 5 for young drivers.

A quick and easy way to check tread depth is to use a 20p. Insert the coin into the grooves of the tread on each tyre, including the spare.

If the outer band on the coin is fully hidden in the tread, the tyres are above the legal limit. If the band is showing, the tyres are worn and may need replacing.

Every year, over two million MOT failures are due to low tyre tread. As many MOTs have been deferred for six months this year as a result of lockdown it is even more important that motorists take the time to check their tyres.

All vehicles must be properly maintained regardless of MOT status.

Motorists can be fined up to £2,500 and receive three penalty points per defective tyre.

T/Chief Inspector Rebecca Rowley-Smith from the tri-force Roads Policing Unit, said: “It is important to regularly check that tyres are roadworthy, and even more so as we head into winter.

"Stopping distances double in wet weather and in icy conditions they can be up to ten times more.

“Coupled with the darker evenings it can be harder to spot and react quickly to potential hazards such as children crossing roads on their way home from school.

"Driving with unsuitable tyres increases this risk and makes these situations even more dangerous.”

Visit TyreSafe to find the correct tyre pressures for your vehicle.