Tyre Safety Week gets underway at ITIA member outlets

Tyre Safety Week takes place until Sunday October 12, at Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) outlets countrywide.

Tyre dealers across the country are inviting motorists to have their tyres checked as part of Road Safety Week, as research by the ITIA shows motorists are leaving it too late in replacing their tyres.
In support of this safety initiative, An Garda Síochána will be out checking tyres for tread depth and general condition as part of Road Safety Week, which starts today (Monday), October 6.

The ITIA survey of over 600 tyres on cars, which came into tyre outlets last month showed 27 per cent below the legal tread depth limit of 1.6mm, with almost one in five having only 1mm of tread or less. The ITIA recommends that motorists change their tyres when the tread depth reaches 3mm, but only 40 per cent of tyres assessed were found to be compliant with this recommendation.
As part of the RSA’s Road Safety Week, ITIA member outlets nationwide are offering free tyre checks to motorists who drop in this week.

No appointment is necessary. Thursday, 9 October, has been deemed Tyre Safety Day, when Gardai will be specifically concentrating their roadside checks on tyres.

“We are pleased with the increased attention being placed on tyres in this year’s Road Safety Week, as our latest research findings certainly testify to the need for more awareness,” comments Kevin Farrell, President of the ITIA. “A majority of motorists are failing to replace their tyres at the point where their stopping performance dips significantly, and one quarter are even letting their tyres wear beyond the 1.6mm legal limit.”

Industry research indicates that a car on tyres just below the 1.6mm limit can take twice as long to stop as a car on new tyres.