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Sophie Lyden has been named Highly Commended by the Institute of Master Tutors of Driving for her contribution to road safety. Known to many as The Tyre Lady, Sophie will receive the recognition in Coventry this September. For the Westgate Tyres depot manager, the nomination carries particular meaning because it came from someone who has supported her from the start.
Sophie said she was left almost lost for words when she learned about the recognition.
While the award itself is important, she said the nomination meant just as much. It was submitted by Vicky Folland, who has followed and supported Sophie's journey from its early stages.
"The part that means the most is knowing that someone took the time to nominate me," Sophie said.
"Vicky has been there from the beginning. She has always cheered every success, so the fact she put me forward means more than I can really explain."
Sophie will receive the Highly Commended recognition at the Institute of Master Tutors of Driving Annual Lunch on Sunday, 13 September 2026.
Sophie is depot manager at the family-run Westgate Tyres in Morecambe. She remains closely involved in the daily running of the independent business while building a wider platform around tyre and vehicle safety.
That mix is central to her work. Her advice does not come from a studio or campaign office alone. It comes from the tyres, customers and safety concerns she sees in the garage.
Sophie has used those everyday experiences to create videos, start conversations and encourage drivers to check their tyres more regularly.
"When I first started talking about tyre safety, I never imagined it would lead to moments like this," she said.
"Every video, every conversation and every campaign has always had one purpose: to help save lives."
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Sophie's campaigning has also taken her onto BBC News and BBC Breakfast.
During her BBC Breakfast appearance, she took a tyre into the studio to demonstrate the checks motorists should make. Sophie describes herself as the first person to take a tyre onto the programme for a tyre safety discussion.
The appearance gave her an opportunity to explain tyre pressure, tread depth and visible damage to a national audience.
It also reflected the approach that has shaped her work from the beginning: making tyre safety practical, understandable and difficult to ignore.
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In July 2026, Sophie helped host a road and vehicle safety drop-in session at Portcullis House.
The session gave MPs an opportunity to learn more about tyre condition, vehicle maintenance and preventable road risk.
For Sophie, the event was another chance to take what she sees in the garage and place it in front of people involved in national decision-making.
Independent garages regularly encounter tyres with illegal tread, structural damage and serious underinflation. Bringing those real examples into Parliament helped connect road safety discussions with what technicians see each day.
The session also showed how people working in local garages can contribute to much wider conversations about safer roads.
Sophie's profile has grown steadily, but she remains keen to keep her work grounded in the business and community that shaped it.
She combines running an independent garage with creating safety content, attending events and speaking to drivers, organisations and policymakers.
There are few women in the independent garage sector combining day-to-day operational responsibility with this level of public road safety campaigning.
For Sophie, however, the work is less about building a profile and more about using whatever platform is available to make a difference.
"I may be known as The Tyre Lady, but at heart I'm still a garage owner from Morecambe," she said.
"If you care enough about something, you should speak up about it."
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Sophie will also speak at The Blend 2026 in Birmingham.
Her session will explore how a simple mission to educate people about tyre and vehicle safety developed into work with emergency services, road safety organisations, policymakers, manufacturers and garages across the UK.
She will share what she has learned along the way and explain how independent garage owners can become road safety champions in their own communities.
The appearance will give Sophie an opportunity to speak directly to garage owners who understand the pressures of running a business while trying to support customers and their local area.
Further information is available through The Blend 2026 website.
The IMTD recognition follows several other milestones in Sophie's road safety work.
In 2025, she was named TyreSafe’s Road Safety Individual of the Year. Tyre News reported on the award and Sophie’s growing role in tyre safety education.
She has also supplied images for TyreSafe's Tyre Wall of Shame campaign. The initiative uses real workshop examples to show drivers the consequences of poor tyre maintenance.
Tyre News previously covered Sophie’s contribution to the Tyre Wall of Shame.
Her wider work has included founding Fresh Drivers UK, speaking at industry events and helping motorists feel more comfortable asking questions in garages.
Sophie said the latest recognition belongs to the people who have supported, encouraged and shared her message.
"Thank you to everyone who has supported me, believed in me and shared the message," she said.
"This recognition belongs to all of us."
The award marks another step in a journey that began with straightforward advice about tyres and grew into a broader road safety campaign.
Sophie's message remains equally straightforward: small checks can prevent serious problems.
"Here's to continuing to make a difference, one tyre check at a time.”
Tagged with: Sophie Lyden, The Tyre Lady, IMTD Awards 2026, road safety, tyre safety, Westgate Tyres, independent garages, BBC Breakfast, Portcullis House, The Blend 2026, vehicle safety, driver education
Disclaimer: This content may include forward-looking statements. Views expressed are not verified or endorsed by Tyre News Media.
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