TyreSafe believes a “high number” of company car drivers may be driving illegally and risking serious injury after it discovered 25% of company car drivers had never checked the depth of their tyre tread and a further 41% had not checked them within the past six months.

To simplify the task of checking tyre tread, companies are being encouraged to promote TyreSafe's ‘lifesaver in your pocket' initiative to their employees which encourages simple monthly checks using a 20p coin.

"As part of their health and safety obligations, companies should make sure that drivers understand their own individual responsibility towards tyre checks," explained Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe. "Company car drivers typically cover around 20,000 miles per year, so it is particularly important that they pay attention to their tyres."