The Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA ) has teamed up with the Road Safety Authority (RSA ) and An Garda Siochána to promote the importance of safety on the roads during Irish Road Safety Week 2021 from October 4-10 inclusive.
To highlight the importance of safe tyres in road safety, Wednesday 6th October is designated ‘Tyre Safety Day’ to remind all road users to check their tyres for tread depth, correct pressure and for defects. Garda checkpoints will focus on tyre safety during the period. All ITIA members www.itia.ie are participating in Road Safety week by offering FREE tyre checks on all cars, vans and HMVs for the duration of the week.
“Tyres are the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road, yet the importance of tyres to vehicle safety is often neglected. There are expert ITIA technicians available nationwide to give your tyres a FREE overall check and advice on how to check your vehicle correctly on a regular basis for pressure, wear and the tread depth of your tyre,” ITIA Chief Executive, Sue O’Neill said.
RSA research notes that no component in your vehicle is more likely to contribute to a crash as your tyres and tyres are a contributory factor in one in ten fatal accidents. Put in more start terms, defective tyres are a contributory factor in approximately 14 deaths every year.
NCT and CVRT
Each month 8,500 vehicles are classified as being dangerously defective for ‘Tyre Tread’ and ‘Tyre Condition’ across the NCT and CVRT testing systems. It is also illegal for a vehicle to be driven on a public road with dangerous defects which means a 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 roadside checks in conjunction with Road Safety Authority Vehicle Inspectors checking tyres on cars, trucks and buses at the roadside.”
General tips for 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.
