Driving home for Christmas? Check your tyres first, says PCL

“Don’t let a flat tyre ruin your Christmas”, is the yuletide message from tyre inflation expert PCL. Checking your tyres once a month and before long journeys is quicker than you think. Less time than listening to your favourite Christmas song in fact – just three to four minutes.

You could even do both at the same time and get in the festive spirit whilst ensuring a defective tyre doesn’t result in you missing out on the celebrations, and that’s much more likely than you might think.

Over the eight-day Christmas and New Year period in 2023, ‘Driving News’ reported nearly 5,000 breakdowns in the UK – with Christmas Eve and St Stephen’s Day being the most challenging.

Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe Chair, highlighted the importance of a simple pre-journey check: “Christmas is one of the busiest times of year on our roads, and sadly it’s also when we see a sharp rise in avoidable breakdowns caused by tyre defects. Just a few minutes spent checking your tyres before you set off can make all the difference between a safe, relaxed journey and spending Christmas Eve waiting for recovery at the side of the road.

“A tyre is the only part of your car that makes contact with the road, so giving it the same attention you give your festive playlist is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself and your loved ones this winter.”

That’s why PCL is urging, as always, to check your tyres are fit for the road, using the best equipment to ensure they’re accurately inflated, with no visible signs of damage, cuts or bulges, and with tread above the legal limit of 1.6mm – although TyreSafe recommends replacing tyres with tread below 3mm for safety and optimum performance.

From a practical point of view, regular tyre checks improve safety, save fuel and reduce wear. From a personal perspective, there’s nothing worse than breaking down in the middle of winter, especially if it’s on the way to a festive family gathering. Or even during the Christmas preparations, such as shopping for food and presents and delivering gifts to loved ones.

So take note of the PCL’s accurate and reliable range of tyre care products and add them to Santa’s list. From the ATT750 12V inflator, that tucks neatly into the corner of the boot, to a convenient selection of glovebox essentials, including pressure gauges and tread depth gauges – these little tools can go a long way to keeping you safely on the road.

PCL’s “It’s quicker than you think” campaign was launched in October in support of TyreSafe’s annual Tyre Safety Month, with the news that a tyre check takes less time than making a proper Yorkshire brew. This was followed by a second message in November – taking a tiny bit of time out from scrolling on social media to do a tyre check could make a huge difference to road safety.

Now PCL is urging drivers not to let a flat tyre get in the way of spreading Christmas cheer.

Managing director Lee Wright said: “The last thing you want is to get stranded, or worse still, be in an accident over Christmas and New Year, and according to National Highways, tyres have been the most common cause of winter breakdowns for the last three years.

“Yet it’s so easily avoided when checking your tyres is a such a quick and simple task to keep on top of. Therefore, along with yuletide greetings, PCL is sending out a special seasonal wish to drivers – invest in some high quality tyre care equipment, put your favourite festive song on, and make sure your tyres are in tip top condition. You’ll have Christmas wrapped up in no time.”