Drivers warned against little-known yet deadly tyre mistake with £2,500 fine

The vehicle financing company has warned motorists to avoid making one mistake when using a handy accessory found in many cars.

While many car companies are ditching in a bid to cut costs and save weight, some models come with space saver wheels that can be fitted to help stranded motorists get home after a puncture.

Despite coming in very handy, Graham Conway, Managing Director of Select Car Leasing, warned that they , and at much lower speeds that .

He explained: "There are still plenty of cars on the road that have a space saver tyre, which will have a yellow sticker on the hub. They are much thinner than standard car tyres and therefore not intended for extended use - just enough to get you home or to a .

"But we have heard some hair-raising tales of people driving at high speeds and for long distances on space savers, which could have terrible consequences."

Almost all space saver tyres will feature a small sticker which details the maximum speed that drivers should travel at when it is attached to their vehicle.

In most cases, this is no more than 50mph and for distances shorter than 50 miles. Whilst it may sound overly cautious, space saver tyres are only designed to be a temporary solution.

Since they are much thinner than the other tyres on the vehicle, a space saver can easily affect the way a vehicle handles at high speed, and will also wear out at a much faster rate.

However, while restrictions surrounding space saver tyres are printed onto the wheel itself, one driver stated that they have seen unsuspecting drivers travelling at nearly double the recommended speed.

They recalled: "I was driving up the M40 a few days ago and came up behind a BMW Compact that seemed to be constantly veering left and correcting itself to stay in lane.

"The car also looked lopsided and it was then that I noticed that it was running on a space saver spare tyre. Problem was that at times he was cruising along at speeds of up to 95!"

In addition to breaking the speed limit on the road, those who travel too fast using space saver tyres are subject to hefty penalties.

According to The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, drivers can be fined for speeding if they are caught travelling faster than 50mph using a space saver, even if the overall speed limit on the road is higher.

Motorists can also face penalties of £2,500 and three points on their licence if the tread depth of the tyre in question is too shallow, putting the driver at risk of losing grip with the road.