A GARAGE in Bolton has joined forces with one of the world’s most famous online motoring personalities for a campaign designed to raise awareness of the importance of safe tyres.

The partnership coincides with Tyre Safety Month, held during October.

YouTube, Instagram and Facebook sensation Tim Burton, or Shmee150 as he is known to his millions of followers, has joined Thistlethwaite Tyre & Exhaust, based in Burns Street, Bolton, to demonstrate why worn tyres are dangerous and a risk not worth taking.

In a test organised by Protyre and filmed by Shmee150 for his YouTube channel, the motoring enthusiast found out first-hand the effect worn tyres have on a car’s ability to stop and steer effectively, and why budget tyres are seldom the bargain they appear to be.

Tim commented: “I was shocked to learn that as many as one in four tyres in use on our roads are already at or below the legal limit, so when Protyre invited me to come and find out what this means in practice I jumped at the opportunity. I spent a day with the team trying different tyres back to back and was amazed at the difference in how they perform.

“Put simply, even at just 30mph, the just-legal tyres took an extra two car lengths to stop. It’s a frightening realisation and I’d encourage everyone to check their tyres are in good condition before winter sets in. I hope the video we’ve produced helps spread this important message.”

The ambitious garage is also aiming to remove some 600 dangerous and illegal tyres off Bolton’s roads during October. The Thistlethwaite Tyre & Exhaust team will be performing safety checks on at least 2,500 tyres in the town as a part of their Tyre Safety Month campaign. Across the Protyre network, the company aims to perform around 300,000 safety checks.

Tyre Safety Month is organised and promoted by national tyre safety charity, Tyre Safe. A study it ran in conjunction with Highways England last year found that 27% of cars – or some 10 million vehicles – are driving with at least one tyre at or below the legal tread depth of 1.6mm.

Matt Dickson, Protyre’s area manager, said: “As an established and trusted local business we feel it’s really important to fully support Tyre Safety Month and take the lead in promoting the importance of tyres and tyre safety to our community.

“People often check things like their oil or windscreen washer levels, but we want to help educate people about also regularly checking the condition of their tyres to make sure they’re not only legal, but also safe.

“Tyres are the only part of a car in contact with the road’s surface, so they are the main factor that is the difference between stopping in an emergency or having an accident. As we approach winter and the roads become cold and damp, tyres will play an increasingly important role in keeping us safe. Quite simply, a worn tyre has very little grip and is an accident waiting to happen.”

Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe chairman, comments: “TyreSafe applauds Protyre’s ambitious plans to perform up to 300,000 safety checks during October and is grateful to its garages throughout the country for supporting Tyre Safety Month so enthusiastically.”

Motorists wishing to take advantage of a free safety check are welcome to call into Thistlethwaite Tyre & Exhaust at their convenience, or can book an appointment by calling ahead on 01204 524392.

Shmee150’s video can be found on his YouTube channel, or visit Protyre.co.uk and follow the links. For more information on Tyre Safety Month, visit www.tyresafe.org.uk.