OCTOBER is the wettest month of the year and one in 10 motorists are risking their lives by driving with inadequate tyre tread, according to road safety organisation RoadSafe.

Wet road surfaces are one of the biggest threats faced by drivers in this country and in October 2004 London and the South East witnessed 126.6mm of rainfall compared to the UK average of 99.5mm.

Although the legal tyre tread depth limit is 1.6mm, RoadSafe claim there is strong evidence to suggest that motorists should check and change their tyres at 3mm.

Recent tests by MIRA (formerly the Motor Industry Research Association) found that cars travelling at 50mph in wet conditions and running on tyres with the minimum legal tread depth took eight metres longer to stop than those with 3mm.

In 2003, 4,240 drivers were killed or seriously injured in road accidents in the South East and 25 per cent of these were attributed to bad weather conditions.

Adrian Walsh, RoadSafe chairman, said: "Braking performance significantly deteriorates in wet conditions when tyre tread depth drops below 3mm.

"Although the legal tread depth limit is 1.6mm, a threshold set by motoring experts some 13 years ago, there is now compelling evidence that motorists should check and change their tyres at 3mm.

"Maintaining a minimum tread depth of 3mm will help reduce the number of accidents on Southern roads."

Simon Aldworth, MIRA's senior engineer, added: "There has been a long-standing belief within the motoring industry that wet weather tyre performance deteriorates more rapidly as the tread depth wears away.

"A comprehensive test of different vehicles and tyre tread depths now scientifically confirms these claims."

Tread Safely Awareness Week takes place this week (October 3 - October 9) in an effort to warn drivers of the dangers of deteriorating tyre tread in adverse weather.

Free inspections will be offered at tyre fitting centres in the South East for the duration of the week. You can check where your local centre is by visiting www.3mmtyres.co.uk.