Fleet decision-makers are navigating an increasingly complex landscape. Electrification, compliance, cost control, driver wellbeing and sustainability all compete for attention. Yet one of the most fundamental elements of vehicle safety and operating cost continues to be overlooked: tyres.
The Government’s recent move to formally recognise TyreSafe as a strategic partner in its Road Safety Strategy is welcome. It signals a growing awareness that tyre condition plays a critical role in road safety. But fleets should not wait for policy shifts to drive change. The evidence is already clear, and the responsibility sits squarely with businesses operating vehicles on UK roads.
Data tells a worrying story
According to DVSA data, more than 2.1 million vehicles failed their MOT due to tyre defects in 2023-2024. Alarmingly, over a third of those vehicles had previously received tyre-related advisories that were not acted upon.
In the same period, 172 tyre-related incidents resulted in people being killed or seriously injured. These are not abstract statistics, they are a direct reflection of how poor tyre management continues to put drivers and other road users at risk.
Despite this, tyres are often absent from strategic fleet discussions. Organisations invest heavily in vehicle technology, safety systems and electrification programmes, yet tyre policies are frequently outdated, reactive, or treated purely as an expenditure line within SMR budgets.
EVs are changing tyre strategies
This is becoming an even greater issue as EV adoption accelerates. Tyre strategies that worked perfectly well a few years ago may no longer be fit for purpose.
Electric vehicles place significantly greater demands on tyres due to increased vehicle weight and instant torque, both of which can accelerate wear if tyre choice and maintenance are not properly managed.
Selecting the right tyre, and maintaining it correctly, is no longer a minor operational detail, it’s fundamental to keeping drivers safe and vehicles on the road.
Moving beyond minimum compliance
Legal minimum tread depth remains 1.6mm, but a purely compliance-led approach can be a false economy. For high-mileage vehicles, replacing tyres earlier, for example from 2mm, when a vehicle is already in for servicing, can reduce unplanned downtime and avoid vehicles being taken out of operation unexpectedly.
Equally important are regular driver checks. Weekly inspections of tyre pressure, uneven wear and visible damage remain essential, whether vehicles are leased or owned. Correct tyre inflation is particularly critical for EVs, which often require higher pressures to accommodate additional weight.
A smarter approach to cost control
Cost control also requires a more nuanced approach than is sometimes applied. All-season and winter tyres can offer genuine benefits, but blanket adoption rarely represents best value. Fleets should assess how vehicles are used operationally. Without that context, costs can escalate quickly without delivering proportional safety or operational benefits.
Similarly, when it comes to tyre brand and quality, real-world operating conditions matter more than labels. The distinction between premium, mid-range and budget tyres is not always clear-cut in practice.
Much tyre damage results from kerbing, potholes and deteriorating road surfaces rather than tyre construction alone. Vehicle age, mileage and expected service life should all influence tyre choice. Investing in premium tyres on vehicles nearing replacement may add cost without delivering meaningful return.
Create a competitive advantage
Spending hours researching, test-driving and specifying new vehicles in the search of the latest technology and optional extras is important when defining vehicle choice lists, but not at the detriment of tyre choice. Often an afterthought. That is a missed opportunity.
Effective tyre management can improve safety, reduce downtime and deliver measurable savings across total cost of ownership, particularly during the transition to electric vehicles.
Tyres may not be the most glamorous part of fleet management, but they are among the most important. Fleet operators willing to take a proactive, strategic approach will see the benefits long before regulation forces the issue.
Lee O’Neill is operations director at Venson Automotive Solutions
