Tyre News

An estimated 6 million tyres on the road have illegal tread, according to TyreSafe’s recent Tread Depth survey, meaning many drivers risk three penalty points and a fine, which can be up to a maximum of £2,500, for each defective or illegal tyre. As well as the risks posed by illegal tread on tyres, almost 542,287 drivers are just two tyres away from an automatic driving ban and almost 100,000 who have nine points are just a single tyre away, according to a recent IAM RoadSmart report. These numbers have risen recently – the number of drivers with nine points on their licence has risen 8 per cent in the last year – indicating an urgent need for drivers to pay closer attention to road safety both in their driving behaviour and attention to vehicle maintenance.

Tuning specialist Brabus is fitting the Continental SportContact 7 to two limited edition sportscars at the Essen Motor Show 2023. WhatTyre's Tyre of the Year in 2022 was “developed for extreme challenges,” according to Conti's head of tuning tyres in Germany, Michael Schneider. The "sportiest Continental tyre of all time" certainly proves its worth on the 900-hp Brabus Rocket R Limited Edition and 750-hp Brabus 750 Bodo Buschmann Edition, both of which are limited to 25 models.

Reigning GT World Challenge Europe champion Raffaele Marciello brought his AMG-Mercedes career to an end with his second victory at the FIA GT World Cup marking a successful return to the Macau GT for Pirelli, and becoming the only driver to win the event twice. Both victories came on Pirelli rubber. Pirelli's preeminence in global motorsport was proved over the weekend of the 70th edition of the Macau GT; the tyre manufacturer also supplied tyres to Formula 1 at the Las Vegas night race and the World Rally Championship’s closing round of 2023 at Rally Japan. 

Business is booming for Cully Tyres & Autocare in mid-Devon, the biggest independent tyre dealer in Cullompton, after it invested £100,000 on a wide-ranging refurbishment, new equipment and opting to become a member of the First Stop network. Formerly known as Marsh Tyres, the depot has recruited new staff and now offers additional automotive services, such as repairs and solutions for electric vehicles and hybrids. Its First Stop membership has also given the depot broader access to a range of premium tyre brands in stock, featuring the Bridgestone and Firestone brands.

TyreSafe, the UK tyre safety charity, has partnered with road safety charity, Brake for Road Safety Week 2023. TyreSafe said the partnership aims to support Brake’s ‘Let’s talk about speed’ campaign. It focuses on demystifying and challenging drivers and passengers to be open and honest about issues related to speeding. The national Road Safety Week campaign began on 19 November. TyreSafe describes it as a significant platform to raise awareness about the critical importance of safe driving practices and the devastating consequences of speeding. Brake’s 2023 campaign highlights the serious and very real hazards and risks associated with driving too fast and on defective tyres.

Hankook has achieved several top results in the latest round of independent tyre tests of winter and all-season tyres. Hankook’s Winter i*cept and Kinergy 4S tyre lines gained several podium finishes in tests by such leading independent testers as ADAC, Auto Bild and Auto Express, scoring particularly highly in the dry and wet as well as in snow.