Motorists whose tyres have been targeted by so-called 'tyre extinguisher' activists are being strongly advised not to drive their vehicles until the tyres are checked, writes Brian Byrne. Continental Tyres say that the method used of deflating the tyres means that the attack may not be immediately noticeable.
Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres Ireland says the first sign for a motorist that something is amiss will be a warning light on the vehicle’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) — which has been mandatory on new cars sold in Europe since 2014.
"Depending on the level of deflation, you risk damaging the tyre to the point where it may need to be replaced," he says. "The best approach would be to seek help from a breakdown service or mobile tyre repair unit who will be able to re-inflate the tyre to the proper tyre pressure level." Alternatively, if the motorist can change the tyre by putting on a spare or ‘skinny’ temporary replacement wheel, they should do that and then take the original tyre to a garage and have it inflated again to the correct pressure level.
Mr Dennigan warns that apart from potential damage to the tyres by driving them under-inflated, there are safety consequences for braking and stopping distance and overall manoeuvrability. He also noted that driving on under-inflated tyres is a penalty points offence.
