U.K. Highways Agency gets tire safety award

Crain News Service report

SOLIHULL, England (Dec. 2, 2013) — The United Kingdom's Highways Agency has taken top honors at an awards ceremony after being recognized by TyreSafe for its efforts in raising public awareness of tire safety issues.

The "Outstanding Contribution" award was presented as part of the first ever TyreSafe Awards which, according to a press release, celebrated the activities and achievements of a wide range of businesses and organizations in encouraging better tire care and maintenance.

According to its website, TyreSafe is one of the UK's leading tire safety organizations, "dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers associated with defective or illegal tires." It was established in 2006 as a not-for-profit group and "campaigns in line with current legislation and duty of care regulations."

"Tire safety remains a serious concern in the UK, but on our own, we can only achieve so much," said Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe. "The work of our partners and members really brings to life what we do and today's awards are just a small way of acknowledging and sharing this.

"The Highways Agency is a thoroughly deserved winner of our principal award after such a fantastic couple of years supporting us, which has ensured that tire safety is very firmly established and represented on the road safety agenda at the very highest levels."

This year tire safety has become one of the key priorities for the agency. A number of high profile initiatives it developed helped to significantly raise the profile and promote understanding about the importance of regular tire care and maintenance. Those efforts included placing for the first time tire-related safety messages on various message signs around the UK's strategic road network, CCTV clips of tire-related incidents posted on social media sites, and an animated educational piece.

In addition, eight other awards were presented covering a range of categories ranging from vehicle manufacturers to safety in the community.

"Judging the awards entries gave us an enormous feeling of pride," Mr. Jackson continued. "Our partners have been working extremely hard with some amazing levels of creativity to capture the imagination and attention of the motoring public…. We look forward to working together closely into the future."

Other winners were:

• Tire manufacturer – Giti Tyre (UK) Ltd.

• Tire retailer – Micheldever Tyre Services / Protyre

• Franchise dealer – HiQ

• Independent garage – Jeff Fowkes Wheels Ltd

• Vehicle manufacturer – Ford

• Emergency services – Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

• Safety in the community – Bedfordshire and Luton Casualty Reduction Partnership

• Champion of innovation – Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership

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This report appeared on the website of European Rubber Journal, a UK-based sister publication of Tire Business.