The Irish Tyre Industry Association is urging motorists to regularly check their tyre pressures, especially after their cars may have been little used during lockdown, writes Brian Byrne.
The Association says that defective tyres are the most significant contributor (66pc) to a collision and the cause of up to as many as 14 deaths each year. A survey carried out by ITIA member Continental Tyres found that only one in ten female motorists regularly check their tyres, while the figure for male drivers was 'a slightly more respectable' 23 percent — however both figures show the vast majority of motorists pay scant regard to their tyres.
Incorrect inflation of tyres leads to instability and greater wear. To drive a vehicle with defective or worn tyres is an offence that will attract an automatic fine of €80, plus two penalty points.
