Road safety charity TyreSafe has announced a new partnership with North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, working together to integrate vital tyre safety advice and education into the Service’s existing programme of road safety initiatives across the region.

The collaboration will see TyreSafe support the Fire and Rescue Service’s established community outreach work, ensuring motorists across North Wales receive practical guidance on tyre maintenance and safety as part of wider efforts to reduce road casualties by providing road safety information to motorists and motorcyclists throughout North Wales

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) already deliver a range of impactful initiatives aimed at improving road safety with partners in North Wales.

These include Operation Atal, a collaborative roadside engagement campaign delivered in partnership with North Wales Police that informs and educates drivers about the Fatal 5, highlighting the most common causes of fatal road traffic collisions.

NWFRS also deliver a targeted intervention to young drivers through a multi agency campaign called Olivia’s Story, aimed at changing young drivers’ behaviour and improving road safety.

In addition, the Service delivers BikerDown training to motorcyclists and works in partnership to engage with motorcyclists in BikerBrews in popular stop spots.

NWFRS also runs a targeted intervention to young drivers called Olivia’s Story which is a true North Wales tragedy. Olivia was killed when her friend raced another friend in a car he had just got after passing his test the day before. A third car with a black box was not involved. This multi-agency campaign aims to change young drivers’ behaviour and improve road safety.

The NWFRS and TyreSafe partnership comes at a time when road safety improvements are being seen across Wales. Road Safety Wales states that the total reported casualties in 2024 fell by 31% compared with 2019 levels. Across Wales in 2024, there were 84 fatalities and 1,007 serious injuries, representing a 7.9% decrease from the previous year.

Despite these positive trends, challenges remain. Rural roads, which are common across North Wales, account for around 60% of all road fatalities in Wales. Authorities including North Wales Police continue to highlight the Fatal 5 as the leading causes of fatal and serious collisions, these being excessive speed, drink or drug driving, mobile phone use behind the wheel and failing to wear seatbelts.

By incorporating tyre safety education into existing programmes, TyreSafe and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service aim to ensure drivers understand the critical role tyres play in maintaining vehicle control, particularly on rural roads and in challenging conditions.

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said, “By working alongside North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and integrating tyre safety into their excellent road safety initiatives, we can reach more drivers and riders with simple, practical advice that helps prevent incidents before they happen. Partnerships like this are vital in continuing the positive progress we are seeing in reducing road casualties.”

Jane Honey, Deputy Head of Prevention at North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, added, “Our teams are committed to supporting safer communities across North Wales, and road safety education is a key part of that work. Tyre condition is a crucial element of vehicle safety, particularly on the rural roads that make up much of our region. By working with TyreSafe we can strengthen the messages we deliver through our campaigns and community engagement, helping motorists make small checks that can have a big impact on road safety.”

The partnership will see tyre safety messages incorporated into roadside engagement activity, community events, and educational programmes delivered by the Fire and Rescue Service across North Wales. Together, the organisations hope to build on recent improvements in road safety and help further reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the region’s roads.