Checked your tyres lately?

These drivers have tyre treads that are below the current legal minimum of 1.6mm, the survey from Kwik-Fit showed. The company also found that more than 19% of cars are being driven on tyres with tread below 2mm - the depth at which a number of leading national car fleet owners change their tyres.

The survey comes at a time when a number of motor industry experts are calling for the tread minimum to be increased to 3mm. Research shows that it takes nearly eight metres (26ft) extra to stop from 50mph when you let your tyres wear down to the legal minimum of 1.6mm from 3mm.

David White, Kwik-Fit's customer service director, said: "In another recent survey, 67% of British cars were found to have one tyre below the proposed 3mm safety threshold.

"But our study paints a far more disturbing picture - one in 10 cars in the UK falling short of the current 1.6mm limit."