The fitment of TPMS became mandatory on all new passenger vehicles on 1 January 2015 and is designed to help drivers ensure their tyre pressures are correct while driving. In the US the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) research has revealed that: “TPMS was estimated to result in a statistically significant 55.6%reduction in the likelihood that a vehicle will have one or more severely underinflated tyres, also a 30.7% reduction in the likelihood of severe over inflation.”

Yet data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, reveals nearly 20,000 cars failed their MoT due to faulty or defective Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) between April 2014 and March 2015.

In response, not-for-profit tyre safety organisation TyreSafe is urging all drivers to regularly check their TPMS is fully functional to reduce risks of tyre-related incidents on the roads.

Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: “Ensuring tyre pressures are correct is a cornerstone of road safety. TPMS is a potentially life-saving technology which helps the driver monitor those pressures when they need it most – out on the road. As with all safety systems, drivers need to check their TPMS is fully-functioning regularly, not only to pass the MoT but to help reduce the risks of a tyre-related incident whenever they drive.”