CHECKING the tread on your tyres at least once a month could save your life, police say.

It is a legal requirement for the grooves in car tyres to have a depth of at least 1.6mm.

But Sgt Simon Drewett of Wiltshire Police’s road safety unit said it’s estimated that at least one in four tyres have worn down to illegal levels by the time they come to be replaced.

This week, Highways England, Wiltshire Police, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, the council and mechanics were at the Orbital shopping centre, speaking to shoppers about tyre safety.

Traffic police checked over 1,000 cars and left 40 notices on cars whose tyres were not up to scratch.

“Over 170 people are killed or seriously injured every year in tyre-related road traffic incidents,” said Sgt Drewett.

“Professionally, it’s very sad to see. Four tyres are what keep you on the road. In the grand scheme of things they are relatively inexpensive to replace.

“We want to do whatever we can to change those figures and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured.”

That is all the more important at this time of year. As the clocks go back, nights draw in and winter storms leave road surfaces slick with rain.

Sgt Drewett said: “It’s a time of the year when people need as much assistance as possible staying on the roads – and good tyres are a very important part of that.”

Today, the Met Office has forecast rain for much of the day with conditions expected to be at their wettest around lunchtime as a band of torrential rain passes over the country.

Earlier this month, stormy conditions resulted in three crashes in just 30 minutes on the A419. One driver received life-threatening injuries and had to be rushed to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

While there is no suggestion that tyre condition played a part in those three crashes, ageing tyres have played a part in other recent fatal crashes.

In February, an inquest heard a van that killed five people after it smashed through the central reservation on the M5 in 2017 had 18-year-old tyres. The driver lost control of the vehicle when one of the front wheels burst.

Police recommend people check their tyres at least once every month for signs of wear and tear. By law, the tread of the tyre must be at least 1.6mm – roughly the height of the outer ring of a 20p.

If your tyres are not up to scratch you could be handed a £100 fine at the roadside and have three points added to your licence. And if you are taken to court over your defective tyres the punishment is even greater. Magistrates can fine you up to £2,500 with three points for each defective tyre.

Irene Stewart of Highways England, who organised the Orbital event, urged people to check their tyres and replace them with new ones regularly: “We want everyone to get home safe.”