Aa Tyres Mobile Tyre Service Launched

* Mobile tyre service launched on 02 April 2015
* Two thirds of women and a third of men rely on garages to warn of tyre wear
* Tyres ‘taken for granted’ by millions

New research from the AA reveals that two-thirds of women (65%) and a third of men (36%) are potentially putting lives at risk by relying on their garage to tell them when their tyres are worn out and need changing.

This shock finding comes as the AA today (02 April 2015) launches its first professional mobile tyre fitting service – AA Tyres – bringing tyre fitting to drivers’ homes or workplaces.

The service covers much of England and is expected to expand over coming months.

Distinctive AA-liveried vehicles are being rolled out(1), each equipped to change tyres, carry out puncture repairs and wheel balancing at any location convenient to the driver.

The research also shows that tens of thousands of drivers are courting danger because they rarely check the pressure, tread depth and condition of their tyres. According to the AA-Populus research(2) among 18,806 AA members, fewer than half of drivers (43%) check their tyre pressures at a recommended two-weekly interval, while a quarter (25%) leave a tyre pressure check for two months or more. And 3% say they never check their tyres.

Drivers check the tread depth or the condition of their tyres less frequently and 28% said they hadn’t done so for two months or more. A further 4% said they'd never checked.

David Bruce, director of AA Tyres, says that many drivers take tyres for granted. “Tyres aren’t ‘optional extras’ – the four small patches or rubber, each the size of your hand are the only parts of the car that touch the road and if they’re worn, poorly inflated or damaged then you really are dicing with death.

“The latest Department for Transport statistics show that there are over 650 injury accidents per year(3) directly attributable to defective tyres. And according to Ministry of Justice figures, a whopping 170 drivers a week are prosecuted for defective tyres.(4)

“Those figures exclude possibly thousands of collisions where stopping distances might have been compromised by poorly inflated or worn tyres; or cornering control has been lost for the same reason.

“Tyres are the second most costly vehicle consumable expense after fuel, yet our research suggests that drivers just don’t pay the attention to them that they should.” Mr Bruce suggests that attention to tyres is often neglected simply because drivers can’t afford an hour or more off work or spare time to drive to a tyre depot and wait for the work to be carried out, so they put off the visit – sometimes until it’s too late.

The new mobile tyre service is a joint venture with award-winning(5) Event Tyres, which pioneered the domestic mobile tyre service concept. It enjoys a five-star Trust Pilot rating.

AA Tyres operates through much of England and is planning to expand its service.(6) Drivers can check availability in their area by visiting the AA Tyres website at https://tyres.theaa.com. If an area is not yet covered, AA members can obtain discounts at National Tyres and Autocare.

For Media Contact:
Person Name: Ian Crowder,
Company: AA Tyres
Address: Fanum House, Basing View
Basingstoke, RG21 4EA, United Kingdom
Phone: 01256 492 844 / 07917 599 793
Email: [email protected]