Second-hand car tyres ‘major safety concern’

Road safety engineers have issued a stark warning about the risks of fitting second- hand tyres to cars following an increase in road fatalities.

The Ireland Munster Centre of the Society of Operations Engineers has also called for an automatic six-month driving ban for motorists with the maximum 12 penalty points.

Drivers who reoffend within two years should then be forced to re-sit the driving test before being allowed behind the wheel again.

These are among a raft of recommendations and proposed reforms contained in a new road safety report published by the society.

Branch chairman Donal Buckley said members are alarmed at the rising trend in road fatalities — 128 people have been killed on the roads so far this year, eight more than for the same period last year.

Excessive speed and speed limit enforcement remains a major factor in most accidents, its report says.

However, the society’s honorary secretary, Ian Ricken, a certified forensic collision investigator, said the use of used or part-worn tyres sold at knock-down prices has become a major safety concern.

“These tyres may meet the minimum thread depth requirements and pass a visual inspection, but they may not uphold in an emergency situation braking or steering situation,” he said.

“There is no law against them per se, but a lot of these second-hand tyres are coming in from Europe, where they are deemed to be unfit for their cars. That doesn’t seem to be the case in this country.”

The report also calls for increased resources for the Garda Traffic Corps, and highlights a range of other concerns, including:

-The risks posed by cars whose engines, suspension, or braking systems have been modified;

-The need for compulsory destruction of certain categories of damaged vehicles to remove potentially dangerous vehicles, or their parts, from being used on the roads again;

-The high NCT failure rate, which topped 53% last year, an indication that cars are not being serviced regularly. The report recommends that vehicle owners should have to present a logbook before the NCT to prove the vehicle has been serviced or repaired by a garage;

-Motorists who drive with broken headlights, inadequate patch repairs after roadworks, the general lack of road maintenance, water lodging on motorways, uncut hedges on junction approaches, and overhanging trees;

-The need for hefty fines for people who erect large commercial or event signs on roundabouts.

The society’s Munster Ireland Centre was recently named international region of the year by its umbrella body for its contribution to promoting road transport engineering in the region.

It runs specialist technical events for transport engineers, and is involved in the Motor Apprentice Education Awards Scheme.