Free tyre tests for Kilkenny motorists

By COLIN BARTLEY

KILKENNY motorists are being urged to get their tyres checked as part of road safety week as good tyres save lives.

Today is national tyre safety day and the Road Safety Authority (RSA), An Garda Síochána and the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA), have teamed up to remind all Kilkenny road users to check their tyres and ‘get a grip.’

Motorists can call in to any ITIA dealer for a free tyre pressure check and tread depth inspection today as part of national road safety week.

Each month 8,500 vehicles are classified as being dangerously defective for ‘Tyre Tread’ and ‘Tyre Condition’ across the NCT and CVRT testing systems. Tyres are the only point of contact between a vehicle and the road, yet their importance to a vehicle’s safety and fuel economy is often overlooked.

Assistant Commissioner David Sheahan, National Roads Policing Bureau of An Garda Síochána, said: “Defective tyres are a serious risk to yourself as the driver and your passenger.

“Gardaí encounter many tragedies on Irish roads and have to deal with people who have suffered serious life-changing injuries. Many of these can be avoided if your vehicle is roadworthy and you drive within the speed limit.

“Have your tyres checked regularly, reduce your speed and together, we can make the roads safer.”