OCTOBER is National Tyre Safety Month and during the campaign, police officers will be on the lookout those who put their own and the safety of others at risk.

Organised by TyreSafe, motorists will be encouraged “Don’t chance it – CHECK IT!” Whilst officers aim to educate, where appropriate the worst cases coming to their attention will face prosecution. The month-long campaign comes as roads policing officers in North Yorkshire are urging drivers to check their vehicles are roadworthy with tyres top of the five most common faults they see. With many thousands of vehicles that had their MOT suspended for six months in April due to Covid-19 are now due for an MOT test, it is feared some will not have their vehicles officially checked with dangerous consequences.

Roads Policing Inspector Rich Champion said: “Some vehicles on the road today won’t have been MOT’d for 17 months due to the Covid MOT suspension. So it’s vital that drivers are checking and maintaining their vehicles properly.

“We’re not here to catch people out – we want to ensure people stay safe.”

“A car or light van should have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm in a continuous band around the central three-quarters of the tyre. For motorbikes it’s 1mm.

“To test this, you can buy a tyre gauge or you can visually check the wear indicators on your tyre. They are little ridges, spaced evenly inside the tread of the tyre.

“If they’re flush with the tread, it’s time for a change. If you don’t feel confident checking this yourself, many garages do it for free. We encounter worn tyres frequently, but ignorance is not an excuse.”

Lack of valid insurance, tax or MOT was also a top defect that comes to police notice.

Insp Champion said: “Remember that if your MOT was suspended in early April due to Covid, it’ll be due in the next few weeks. There is no further extension and if you have no MOT, your insurance will also be invalid.”