Tenth of deaths on Irish roads linked to defective tyres

Fourteen people are estimated to have died on the State’s roads last year because of defective tyres, with many times that number suffering life-changing injuries, according to research by the Road Safety Authority.

The figures come from an analysis of Garda road collision data, which estimates that defective tyres could be a factor in up to 10 per cent of road deaths. On that basis, some 14 of the 147 deaths on the roads last year involved vehicles with defective tyres.

A study published by the authority in 2019 showed that some 8,500 vehicles were classified each month as being dangerously defective for tyre thread or condition across the National Car Test and commercial CVRT systems.

The minimum legal thread depth for a car in Ireland is 1.6mm, however authorities including the Irish Tyre Industry Association say drivers should consider replacing tyres once they go below a 3mm thread depth.

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New car tyres come with 8mm of thread - but second hand and “part worn” tyres are widely sold across the country. While the association acknowledges sales of part worn tyres are not illegal once the thread depth meets the legal minimum, association chief executive Sue O’Neill said “you wouldn’t fit part worn brakes, would you?”.

Embossed

Ms O’Neill said all tyres produced for the European market are required to have the week and the year the tyre was made embossed on them, for example 52/19 for the last week of 2019.

In the year to September 1st, some 1.392 millon NCT tests were completed, with 107,012 (7.68 per cent) failing because of their tyres.

Chief Supt Mick Hennebry of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said defective tyres pose a serious risk to all road users. He said gardaí regularly deal with collisions in which people are killed or suffer serious life-changing injuries as a result of others driving on defective tyres, which he said were avoidable.

He said Garda roads policing units would be mounting roadside tyre checks in conjunction with Road Safety Authority vehicle inspectors on Wednesday, which is Tyre Safety Day. Those found to be driving with defective tyres can receive up to four penalty points if convicted and a fixed penalty of up to €120.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton urged drivers to ensure the tyres on their vehicles are fit for purpose.