Franchised and independent workshops are being asked to participate in a national tyre safety month in October.

The campaign is being coordinated by TyreSafe, the UK tyre safety organisation, to inform motorists about the importance of correct tyre pressures for safety, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It already has the backing of most tyre companies including GoodyearDunlop, Bridgestone and Continental, plus fast-fit groups including ATS, HiQ and Micheldever.

Participating workshops will offer free tyre safety checks, and can download promotional literature and posters from the TyreSafe website. The campaign, fronted by Channel 5 motoring journalist Vicki Butler-Henderson, will be supported by promotions in the regional press and radio.

A spokesman said: “We will promote the campaign with the help of Vicki using radio interviews, local newspaper advertising and a session on TalkSport on October 1. We are anticipating an improvement in footfall at dealer premises as people take advantage of the free tyre checks.

“This is the first national campaign to be arranged by the industry for years, if ever, and we are still establishing and evaluating the level of support from individual companies. We do have other initiatives linked to the month that we will be announcing shortly.”