UK motorists are among the worst in Europe for clinging on to their tyres until they are at or below the legal limit.

Statistics show that 57 per cent of drivers run with their tyres under the 1.6mm limit and 78 per cent with plough on with underinflated tyres and that low-priced tyres are a top priority when they eventually have to change.

It seems they also regard the round black things that keep them on the road as far less important than safety gadgets such as ABS braking, stability and cruise control and other gear.

The benefit of spending just a bit more on better quality tyres is obvious. They make every journey safer, especially in wet weather which is pretty common over here.

Stopping distances are dramatically reduced and road-holding enhanced on cornering and changes of direction.

I've just returned from a comprehensive tyre testing session with Bridgestone, the world's biggest tyre manufacturer, at its European Proving Ground at Aprilia, near Rome, and it was an eye-opener.

Comparing its premium grade Turanza T001 to a cheap Chinese import was the object of the exercise and I was impressed with the results, and had some great fun into the bargain.

The first exercise tackled the circuit's "black lake" wet surface in a Golf 2.0 TDI where I was able to experience the difference in wet cornering and hydroplaning between the Bridgestone tyres and the low-cost imported tyres.

There was a dramatic difference in emergency braking distances between the two tyres with the Bridgestone product stopping four metres earlier than the Golf fitted with Chinese rubber, even at a relatively low speed.

Even at relatively low speeds the damage to vehicles, and more importantly to pedestrians involved can be severe.

A UK Department for Transport study shows that even at 5mph impact with a pedestrian can start causing light to severe injury, and in rare cases even fatality. With an impact of 14mph per hour in 40 per cent of cases light to serious injuries occur, mainly to head and legs.

Bridgestone claims that in the event of a head-to-tail accident at a speed as low as 11mph the rear car can suffer serious material damage such as a dented bumper and grille, broken headlights, engine bonnet crumpled and at least one airbag activated.

If it happened to the Golf I drove it could cost up to £3,000 to repair and drive up you insurance premium.

To give a wider picture, our testing then moved over to a dry track. Here we were able to compare tyres and feel the greater stability and reassurance of the Turanza in cornering, slalom manoeuvers and lane changing.

The highlight of the event for me was being driven by ex-F1 Italian driver Stefano Modena, who drove for Brabham, EuroBrun, Tyrrell and Jordan in 81 Grand Prix between 1987 and 1992.

Modena is now part of Bridgestone's tyre development team and he took us out on the wet handling circuit which is constantly sprayed with water to a depth of between 5 and 10mm.

It has a series of hairpin bends on an undulating route and the difference in the safety of using the premium tyres as opposed to the cheaper product was pronounced.

Driving to the limit, the lower quality tyres allowed the Golf to drift and slide alarmingly with the back end slipping dangerously and nearly leaving the circuit.

In comparison, the premium Turanza T001 tyres allowed the ex-F1 ace to keep control and push hard even under the extreme wet conditions.

There were also high speed supercar sessions where a variety of exotica - including a Ferrari 458 - was put through its paces on both wet and dry surfaces.

Overall, the experience at Aprilia hit home to me that the extra you need to spend on higher quality tyres must be well worth it.

Tyres are more than black and round things - they could save your life.