Merityre and Bridgestone checked the tyres on 57 cars free at Waitrose in Bracknell on 18 September. Ten needed urgent attention, with bulges and penetrations found.

Ten of the 57 cars checked for free in the Waitrose car park in Bracknell on Friday needed urgent attention, according to the garage that ran the event.

Merityre Bracknell took its technicians to the supermarket in Bond Way on 18 September and carried out complimentary tyre inspections on 57 cars over four hours, as we reported beforehand. Ten of those 57 came back needing urgent work. Among the problems the team found were bulges and penetrations, which Merityre describes as significant safety concerns.

That works out at close to one car in six.

Corrected 23 September: the 57 checks were carried out on 57 cars, not on 57 individual tyres.

A technician in a high visibility vest crouching to check the tyre of a red car in a car park
Checking a tyre on a car in the Waitrose car park during Friday's event. Photo: supplied by Merityre Bracknell

Why it matters between MOTs

Merityre’s point is that tyre faults do not wait for a test date. A bulge or a penetration can appear at any time in the year, and a driver who only ever has their tyres looked at during an MOT may go many months without noticing one. The garage has used the results to ask motorists across the town to make a few simple checks themselves rather than leave it to an annual appointment.

Panel showing the results of the Merityre Bracknell tyre checking event: 57 cars checked free in four hours, 10 needing urgent attention, about one in six, with bulges and penetrations found.
The event's figures as reported by Merityre Bracknell.

Darren Smeeth, general manager at Merityre, said the team was “delighted with how successful the event was”.

A technician using a hand held gauge on the tyre of a red car
A pressure check on one of the cars brought in on the day. Photo: supplied by Merityre Bracknell

Run with Bridgestone

The event was staged in partnership with Bridgestone, as part of the tyre maker’s “Be a Bridgestone Road Safety Hero” campaign, which encourages drivers to take simple, practical steps on tyre safety. The branded gazebo and a Bridgestone-liveried Volkswagen ID. Buzz sat alongside the Merityre van in the car park for the morning and early afternoon.

Drivers who came over were also given free tyre safety packs, with advice on checking tread depth, tyre pressures and the overall condition of a tyre.

Cars queuing beside the Bridgestone gazebo in a supermarket car park, with staff in high visibility vests working on a red Fiat
Cars pulled in next to the gazebo through the four-hour event. Photo: supplied by Merityre Bracknell
A Bridgestone branded Volkswagen ID. Buzz parked next to the Bridgestone gazebo and the yellow Merityre van
The Bridgestone-liveried Volkswagen ID. Buzz next to the Merityre van in the Waitrose car park. Photo: supplied by Merityre Bracknell

Not every passenger was in a hurry to get home.

A dog watching from the window of a silver car while a technician works on the front tyre
A dog watching the work from the window of a car having its tyres checked. Photo: supplied by Merityre Bracknell

What it means for you

If your car was not in the Waitrose car park on Friday, the checks have not finished. Merityre said before the event that it would carry out free tyre inspections at its Western Road branch throughout October, for National Tyre Safety Month, so there is a second chance to have a tyre looked at without paying for it.

The three things the safety packs cover are the three worth doing at home between visits: the depth of the tread, the pressures, and the condition of the tyre itself, which is where a bulge or a penetration shows up. A tyre with a bulge in the sidewall is not a problem that improves with time.

A technician holding a tablet while using a tread depth probe on the rear tyre of a silver car in a workshop
A tread depth check being recorded on a tablet at the branch. Photo: supplied by Merityre Bracknell

The Bracknell branch is on Western Road and can be reached on 01344 592299.

Sponsored feature for Merityre Bracknell, the tyre and MOT garage on Western Road.