Tires and Fleet Safety: Risks, KPIs, and Best Practices

When it comes to fleet safety, tires are a critical component that should not be overlooked. Tires are the only point of contact between your vehicles and the road, and their condition can have a major impact on the safety of your fleet. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the risks associated with tires, key performance indicators (KPIs) to track, and best practices in tire management.

First, let's look at some of the risks associated with tires in a fleet setting. One of the biggest risks is tire failure, which can lead to accidents and other safety issues. Tire failure can be caused by a number of factors, including under-inflation, over-inflation, overloading, and age. Other risks include poor tire tread, which can reduce traction and increase the risk of skidding and hydroplaning, and inadequate tire pressure, which can affect fuel efficiency and increase the risk of tire failure.

To manage these risks and ensure the safety of your fleet, it's important to track relevant KPIs. Some of the key KPIs to track in relation to tires include the following:

  • Accident rate: This is the number of accidents per 100,000 miles driven. By tracking this metric, you can identify trends and patterns in your data and take action to reduce the number of accidents.
  • Tire pressure: This is the pressure of the air inside the tires. By tracking this metric, you can ensure that your tires are properly inflated and in good working order.
  • Tire tread depth: This is the amount of tread on the tires. By tracking this metric, you can identify tires that need to be replaced and take action to prevent accidents caused by poor tire tread.
  • Tire age: This is the age of the tires. By tracking this metric, you can identify tires that are reaching the end of their useful life and take action to replace them before they become a safety risk.

By tracking these and other KPIs, fleet managers can gain valuable insights into the safety of their tires and take targeted action to improve it.

In addition to tracking KPIs, there are other best practices that fleet managers can follow to improve tire safety. These include regular tire inspections, using the correct tire size and type for your vehicles, and implementing a tire maintenance program that includes regular tire rotations and alignments. By following these best practices, you can reduce the risk of tire failure and ensure the safety of your fleet.

In conclusion, tires are a critical component of fleet safety. By tracking relevant KPIs and following best practices in tire management, you can reduce the risk of tire failure and keep your vehicles and drivers safe on the road.

Book table of contents

About

I've been working in the fleet management sector for several years now and I've seen various fleets from different angles - very well managed fleets, where processes are in order, policies are in place and fleets where you can barely understand what does the fleet consist of. I decided to lay out these experiences in an easy to read site, where I will look into all of these aspects of fleet management and how technologies can help in fleet management. You can consider this as my attempt and life goal of writing a book. It will take a while, but be sure to check back often.

© 2025 Small Fleet Safety website. Feel free to link to this content, no content should be copied without permission.