Motorists urged to ‘get a grip’ and check their tyres during Irish Road Safety Week
ITIA dealers offering free tyre checks nationwide
The Road Safety Authority (RSA), An Garda Síochána and the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) have teamed up for ‘tyre safety day’ on Wednesday 9 October, during Irish Road Safety Week, to remind all road users to check their tyres. Motorists can call in to any ITIA dealer for a free tyre pressure check and tread depth inspection.
RSA CEO, Moyagh Murdock said: “Your tyres are the only point of contact between your car, van, or SUV and the road, and yet their importance to a vehicle’s safety and fuel economy is often overlooked. RSA research shows that there is no component in your vehicle that is as likely to contribute to a crash as your tyres and that tyres are a contributory factor in one in ten fatal crashes*. Put in more stark terms, defective tyres are a contributory factor in approximately 14 deaths every year.”
She added: “Each month 8,500 vehicles are classified as being dangerously defective for ‘Tyre Tread’ and ‘Tyre Condition’ across the NCT and CVRT testing systems. Driving on dangerous or under-inflated tyres puts your life and the lives of other road users at risk so don’t wait until your NCT comes around to check the health of your tyres, get to an ITIA dealer next week.”
Assistant Commissioner David Sheahan, Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, An Garda Síochána, said: “It is illegal for a vehicle to be driven on a public road with dangerous defects which means the driver may incur penalty points and a court appearance if detected by An Garda Síochána. If you are found to be driving a vehicle with defective or worn tyres you could face up to 4 penalty points if convicted and a fixed penalty of up to €120. Members of the Roads Policing Unit across the country will be mounting road side checks in conjunction with Road Safety Authority Vehicle Inspectors checking tyres on cars, trucks and buses at the roadside.”
Some general tips on tyre maintenance:
- The minimum tread depth of your tyres is 1.6mm (1mm on a motorcycle). Replace with new tyres before you reach this level.
- The tyre pressure is in the owner’s hand manual or fuel cap.
- Cuts, cracks, and sidewall damage or bulge are the dangers to look for on a tyre.
- Don’t forget to check the spare tyre.
Eddie Marketing Director at BestDrive by Continental said: “The risks to motorists to pedestrians and cyclists is quite clear – to be safe on Irish roads means to be sure that your tyres are safe and fit for purpose. It is really difficult for any member of the public to be able to check tyres properly so why not call into any of the refurbished BestDrive by Continental branches this week and get your tyre test for FREE as this time could save your life and perhaps some other road uses”
* RSA Review of Garda fatal forensic investigation collision files for the period 2008 – 2012
BestDrive by Continental – You drive, we care.