Tyres are of fundamental importance to road safety as they provide the only contact a vehicle has with the road. Basic checks such as making sure tyres are correctly inflated can make all the difference, as the pressurised air inside an HGV tyre has to support the weight of the vehicle and its load.

• When a tyre is under-inflated, heat builds up inside the tyre, which may eventually lead to a blowout.
• Tyre failure may cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, which is particularly dangerous on
  motorway carriageways.
• In the event of a tyre failure, super-single tyres can present the driver with a particular challenge in terms of maintaining control of the vehicle.
• Other motorists can be put at risk by any tyre debris left on motorway carriageways/roads.
• Fitting a replacement tyre on a motorway hard shoulder is a highly dangerous activity.
• Correct tyre maintenance can greatly reduce these risks and provide a safer working environment for drivers and fitters.

The tyre is a complex component of a vehicle that has been engineered to work in harmony with the vehicles sophisticated brake, steering and suspension systems. When a tyre is under-inflated, the tyre contains insufficient air to support the weight of the vehicle properly, which adversely affects acceleration, braking and cornering.

• By keeping tyres at their correct pressure, drivers can travel further on each tank of fuel and help to reduce CO2 emissions.
• When tyres are under-inflated, the contact patch with the road surface increases, causing increased drag, which in turn places more load on the engine.
• The rolling resistance of an under-inflated tyre increases as it requires more energy to return to its original shape after each contact with the road.
• Keeping tyres correctly inflated helps commercial fleets to minimise their cost per kilometre rate, while economising on fuel costs.

• Keeping tyres inflated to the recommended tyre pressure level for the vehicle ensures even tyre pressure distribution, optimum handling, and consequently a more even wear rate, keeping the tyres in service for longer.
• Driving on under-inflated tyres places excess stress on the tyre shoulders, causing uneven wear towards the outside edge of the tread.
• Under-inflated tyres also heat up more quickly than correctly inflated tyres, and in extreme cases can lead to tyre failure.
• Over-inflation causes high wear in the centre of the tread.