Home North East Free tyre safety check for Darlington drivers

Free tyre safety check for Darlington drivers

Auto Care Group`s General Manager John Gallagher

Customers can grab more than a bargain whilst shopping at Morrison’s North Road store this August, as The Auto Care Group is offering free tyre safety checks to Darlington drivers.

Failing to check your tyres regularly could cause an accident, and land you in serious trouble with the DVLA. A CU30, or ‘driving on bald tyres’, comes with a £2,500 fine and three penalty points – for each illegal wheel. That is, potentially, a fine of £10,000 and a ban from driving.

The Auto Care Group`s General Manager, John Gallagher, has lived in Teesside for 51 years. At The Auto Care Group’s garages in Darlington and Stockton, he has been helping people drive safely by identifying potentially illegal tyres for 13 years. Prior to this, he spent 12 years with the AA.

“I’m confident the Darlington community understand the duty of care they have to pedestrians and fellow road users in their area,” said John. “We’re hoping that by carrying out the check whilst people shop, we can help drivers that are busy and those who aren’t aware of the implications of driving on bald, or damaged tyres.”


The law requires car tyres to have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm in a continuous band around the central three quarters of the tyre. However, it is advised that tyres with 3mm tread are changed, as this seriously impacts the stopping distance and performance of the vehicle.

“Along with the safety risk, the financial result of driving on illegal tyres could be life changing,” said John. “The points on a licence could cost someone their job, but the financial penalties don’t stop there.

“As well as the hefty fines enforced by the DVLA, insurance companies can invalidate a claim if the vehicle has an illegal tyre.”

The free safety check will take under fifteen minutes to complete, so that even people popping in for a quick shop can take advantage of the offer.

Should The Auto Care Group discover any tyres fall short of the mark during the test, drivers do not need to worry about being reported: “We won’t be taking any details from anyone,” said John. “The results of the safety checks are confidential, and we will only carry out the test should the driver give us their clear, express permission.”

“Our aim is to educate people,” said John. “The overall goal is to keep our community safe on the roads.”

An information pack containing the result of the safety check will be left on the vehicle’s windscreen. The pack also comes with discount codes, meaning anyone who needs to replace tyres can do so at reduced rates at The Auto Care Group.

Drivers can claim their free tyre safety check on the 7th, 8th and 9th of August between 08:30 and 16:00 Morrisons Supermarket, 97 North Road, Darlington, DL1 2PY.