What's the news?
In news that should resonate with every motorist on this island, analysis conducted by tyre brand Continental in conjunction with Advance Pitstop has revealed that a worryingly high amount of vehicles are travelling on our roads with dangerous and defective tyres. This is a seriously concerning issue, as tyres form the only link between car and road surface and are therefore one of the most important contributors to vehicle safety.
As part of Continental's Vision Zero strategy, which aims to reduce accidents by improving tyre technology, Advance Pitstop depots nationwide provided used tyres taken from vehicles for investigation. The findings show a range of major faults including thread depth below the 1.6mm legal minimum (in some cases worn right down to the wire carcass), lumps and bulges, uneven wear and cuts and tears.
This is shocking stuff, especially when you take the recent introduction of penalty points for defective tyres into account. Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres Ireland had this to say: '' "I would describe tyres like these as ticking bombs - nobody knows 'the when' or 'the where' that one of these tyres could lead to a catastrophic failure. For sure, it would not only be a disaster for the driver and occupants of the vehicle in question, but also for any other unsuspecting road user who just happened to be on the same road at the same time".
The penalty for defective tyres if stopped by a Garda is a fixed charge fine of €80 and up to four penalty points if the matter goes to court, but so far only 308 people have been convicted since the regulations came into effect in April. Motorists are clearly still not getting the message that dangerous tyres can have deadly consequences, despite the Road Safety Authority highlighting that 71 road deaths over the last five years had this as a contributing factor.
There really is no excuse for having defective tyres on your car, and a simple thread depth check can be performed using a €1 coin. The gold-coloured outer section of the coin is 3mm thick so by placing it into the thread you can get a quick indication of the remaining depth. It can be difficult to see wear on the inner edge of the tyre however, so if you're unsure then call into any reputable tyre dealer who will be able to provide a full health assessment of each tyre.
It is impossible to predict how a defective tyre will cope under adverse conditions and loads, so for your own safety and that of others around you, please keep an eye on your rubber.