New car sales in the UK are already being affected by the credit crunch and there is now mounting evidence that motorists are delaying replacing worn and defective tyres. This false economy is putting drivers, passengers and other road users in danger of an accident or the potential for prosecution.Research by Protyre, Britain’s largest independent tyre dealer network, has revealed that over three quarters of motorists visiting their 31 outlets had at least one defective or badly worn tyre, up dramatically on a year ago. Surprisingly, Protyre technicians have also discovered that drivers of family cars seem to be more responsible than owners of premium vehicles, with a lower percentage of family cars having more than one defective tyre compared with premium models – the cars usually fitted with lower profile tyres. Motorists driving a vehicle with a defective tyre face possible prosecution risking a fine up to ￡2,500 and three penalty points on their licence per tyre. Bald tyres also compromise safety, offering less grip in the wet and with the UK going into what is predicted to be one of the wettest autumns for many years, the dangers are all too obvious.Commenting on the Protyre findings, Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, the road safety partnership of leading industry bodies, government and road safety professionals said, “This research is worrying. Clearly drivers are delaying the replacement of worn tyres which is a false economy and will place drivers at greater risk of having an accident”.To find your local Protyre outlet visit Protyre.co.uk