CCTV footage reveals tyre failure horrors

The shocking consequences and high cost of tyre failures have been revealed in a series of new CCTV clips unveiled by the Highways and TyreSafe in the UK.Agency.

In the most dramatic clip, which can be found on the Highways Agency’s YouTube channel motorway cameras capture the moment a tyre fails on the front of an HGV, sending it uncontrollably into the central reservation causing chaos and extensive damage.

“Many people incorrectly assume that if their tyre fails, they’ll simply pull onto safety of the hard shoulder,” explains Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “However, as this startling clip shows, when a tyre fails, the results can be dramatic, beyond control and incredibly frightening. The clips really do emphasise why it’s important to check your tyres regularly.”

As well as showing the dangers to drivers of a tyre failure, another clip shows how Highways Agency officers have to close all three lanes of a motorway to retrieve debris from another tyre failure. The final CCTV clip highlights the financial cost of a tyre failure after a truck catches fire following a tyre failure, leading to a full motorway closure for many hours at a cost of several million pounds.

For more information about tyre safety visit www.tyresafe.org or to see the Highways Agency’s CCTV clips, visit its YouTube Channel.