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Fleets could soon be able to check their tyre pressures at Welcome Break service stations across the UK following the start of a pilot project at Keele services off the M6.
The free tyre pressure checking service from Wheelright works by cars or vans driving over a sensor. The results are available automatically on a touchscreen or paper print-out.
Should tyres require immediate attention; drivers will be able to use the nearby air compressors at Keele services. Drivers need to know their correct tyre pressures in order to know how badly underinflated they are and what pressure they should be inflated to.
The pilot is being run in partnership with the Highways Agency (which becomes Highways England on 1 April) and Wheelright is feeding back information on tyre pressures anonymously to the agency to see how big an issue underinflated tyres are as a safety issue.
The pilot will run for three months and will help determine whether Welcome Break will install the service across its 28 sites in the UK.
According to the last Road Safety Observatory report, the UK sees approximately 25 deaths and nearly 1500 serious accidents every year attributed to poorly inflated or defective tyres.
Wheelright believe the ability to easily measure tyre pressures remotely and quickly could nudge drivers to undertake checks more often.
It could also mean fleets would save money on fuel due to the impact on fuel economy from under inflated tyres.
John Catling, WheelRight's chief executive, said: "We believe this innovation could dramatically change driver behaviours - leading to far more frequent checking of tyre pressures.
"This simple, yet vital change in culture could have a massive impact on road safety, the cost of motoring and our environment too. Better tyre management will save lives, reduce petrol consumption and the need to replace tyres so often."
Catling said he is exploring installing the technology at fleet depots, fuel forecourts and at other service stations in the UK.
He also said that while some new cars are fitted with tyre pressure monitoring systems as standard, most drivers didn't know how to use them properly.
CaCatling said: "People don't use TPMS properly. They often don't reset it, know where to find it on the car's information system.
"With our system you just drive over and it tells you so it makes it a lot easier."
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