ONE in five Wisbech motorists are driving on dangerous and illegal tyres, a study has found.

Tyre specialists HiQ Wisbech, based in High Road, discovered that 18 per cent of drivers are making journeys on tyres worn below the 1.6mm minium tread depth after completing an audit in the area.

HiQ owner Martin Holmes said a record number of motorists were found to have defective tyres when checks were made on every car visiting the centre in November.

He said many drivers did not appreciate the importance of driving on reliable tyres, or the penalties associated with illegal ones, including �2,500 fines and penalty points to driving licences.

Mr Holmes said: “The number of illegal tyres we are coming across is staggering. We checked 500 cars and it would appear that tyres are the forgotten part of the vehicle in many motorists’ minds when, in fact, it is the most important.

“The prospect of penalty points to your licence, let alone the cost implications and safety element, is particularly strong and a fact that we hope will resonate with a number of people.

“To say we were shocked by our audit results is an understatement. We were staggered that thousands of motorists are sitting on an automotive time bomb.

“Some vehicles we checked had three or even four defective tyres, which would amount to 12 penalty points and up to �10,000 in fines. It is that serious.”

Martin has created an SMS and email alert service for his customers, to remind them about their tyre pressure levels, with more information available on www.hiqonline.co.uk/tyrepressureguide

Figures from the Department for Transport show that 18 motorists were killed last year from defective tyres, bringing the number of tyre-related deaths on UK roads in the last five years to 164.

For more information on HiQ and their free tyre safety checks visit: www.hiqonline.co.uk