One in six cars tested in a recent survey was at or below the minimum legal tread depth of 1.6mm. Results from inspections of more than 300 cars by Continental Tyres also showed that a further 53 per cent of cars tested were found to be on tyres with incorrect tyre pressure; in the vast majority of cases they were under-inflated; and 41 per cent of cars were found to be dangerously inflated.
According to Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres Ireland: “We know that in the current economic climate, motorists have been cutting back on their motoring expenses and some may have been tempted to push their tyres to the limit.”
With the legal limit of 1.6mm less than the thickness of a €2 coin, he is concerned that so many motorists ignore the basic inspections on tyres and put their lives at risk.
“Checking your tyres can be a three-minute job once a month but it’s vital to a car’s safety. Yet past surveys show that one in four motorists never checks his or her tyre pressure at all.
The survey was carried out at Maxol outlets in Donegal, Dublin, Kildare and Mayo with in excess of 300 cars tested. All of the tests were carried out by trained personnel from Advance Pitstop, the tyre and car servicing provider.