[PR] 1 in 8 Cars Driving on Illegal Tyres - RSA & ITIA Launch Tyre Safety Campaign

Victor

Of course, legal tyre depth (1.6mm) is often less than that recommended by car manufacturers (sometimes 4-5mm).

www.rsa.ie

1 in 8 Cars Driving on Illegal Tyres

RSA & ITIA Launch Tyre Safety Campaign

The Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey TD has today Thursday 26th July 2007 launched a new road safety campaign from The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) to highlight the issue of tyre safety.

According to research conducted by the ITIA* it is estimated that 1 in 8 cars on our roads may be below the legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm. This could mean that as many as 200,000 cars could be driving on illegal tyres on Irish roads.

Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey, TD, said at the launch 'Road safety concerns each and every one of us. Motorists need to be extra vigilant when it comes to vehicle maintenance and tyre safety is an important element of that. This tyre safety campaign is an important one and I hope that it will prompt motorists to regularly check their tyres for depth, damage and pressure. Keeping your tyres in good working order might just save a life.'

Mr. Michael Rowland, Director of Road Safety Education and Research, RSA said “While crash investigation evidence tells us that the condition of vehicles is a factor in just 0.7% of fatal road collisions, defective tyres is an important road safety issue that needs to be highlighted. The breaking distance of your vehicle and its ability to handle wet weather conditions are all dependent on having safe and legal tyres”.

Mr. Jack Farrell, Chief Executive, ITIA said, “Tyres are your only contact with the road. Cars with tyres below or at the legal tread depth limit can take twice as long to stop compared to cars on new tyres. You should regularly check the condition of your tyres and if you have any doubts, go to your nearest tyre dealer who will be able to give you professional advice”

As part of the new tyre safety campaign the RSA and the ITIA have developed a tyre safety leaflet which is being distributed in all National Car Test Service (NCT) renewal notices over the next 12 months.

It will also be available from local Driving Test Centres, NCT Centres, Local Authorities and will be circulated to Garda Stations.

The leaflet contains important information on tyre safety and includes a handy ‘pop-out’ tyre tread depth gauge. Users can use this credit card sized tyre tread depth gauge to check the safety or legality of their tyres.

Ms. Samantha Breen, National Car Test Service, said, “Check your tyre tread depth on a regular basis. Bald tyres significantly reduce the traction on wet roads, and offer little resistance to aquaplaning. When your tyres run over water, the water is displaced and it needs somewhere to go quickly. The best place is between the treads of your tyres. If your tyres are bald, the water has no place to go and you end up riding on a layer of water, like a boat.”

Since the introduction of the National Car Test which started operations on the 4th January 2000, Tyre Thread has been a fail refusal item. Any Tyre that has a depth of less than 1.6mm must be replaced and brought back to the NCT centre for inspection again in order to receive a roadworthy certificate. 3.1% of cars have failed the NCT test due to tyres being under the legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm (2006)

If tyre tread depth is less than 3.00mm the NCT advise customers of this fact on the Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR). This is designed to make the customer aware that they should be thinking about replacing the tyre.

Ends



Tyre Safety Check List

Tread depth: Tyres are your only contact with the road. Do not allow your tyres to wear down too much. Most vehicles on the road must have a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm over the main treads. For motorcycles and vintage vehicles the minimum tread depth is 1 mm. However, make sure you replace your tyres before they become this worn.

Cars with tyres below or at the legal tread depth limit can take twice as long to stop compared to cars on new tyres.

Pressure: Regularly check the pressure of every tyre, including the spare tyre, and pay attention to the recommended pressure levels.

Checking for damage: Regularly examine your tyres for cuts, cracks and bulges, which could cause unexpected blow-outs.

Replacing tyres: Buy replacement tyres only from reputable dealers and do not mix radial and cross-ply tyres on any one axle.

Temporary use (space saver) spare tyres: Only use these tyres to complete a journey or make a journey to a tyre dealer. Do not travel at a speed in excess of the recommended speed stamped on the tyre.

SuperSean11

If the tyres are against regulations can the owner be prosecuted???

dudara

Doesn't surprise me, you see it a lot. I think that it's easy to forget about tyres.

Victor

SuperSean11 wrote:

If the tyres are against regulations can the owner be prosecuted???

Yes, but I don't think many are.

Oh, I think it is the driver is prosecuted, not necessarily the owner.

SuperSean11

Just wondering if you know does this rule apply for vans or heavier vehicles

BENJAMIN61

SuperSean11 wrote:

Just wondering if you know does this rule apply for vans or heavier vehicles

no

Seth Brundle

Get a load of this...

as spotted by the OP of this - someone should call the guards..

BENJAMIN61

gift