Could new van tyres improve safety and efficiency?

New van tyres could be one step to take in helping to make commercial vehicles safer on the roads, where the Freight Transport Association (FTA) suggests unnecessary risks are faced.

According to the organisation, the different maximum speed limits imposed on private and commercial vehicles on single carriageway trunk roads are putting drivers under unnecessary risk.

Head of road traffic management policy Malcolm Bingham says: "One way to make an immediate and lasting improvement to road safety would be to equalise the speed limit."

Mr Bingham adds that motorists and the industry "can't afford to be complacent" when considering issues relating to road safety.

The FTA adds that equalising the speed limits could also improve fuel efficiency by allowing commercial vehicles to drive at a more fuel-friendly speed.

New van tyres may also help conserve fuel, as the FTA notes that low rolling resistance tyres can improve engine efficiency by six per cent during long haul journeys, by reducing the energy lost as heat.