It's something of a repeated apocraph that UK and Northern Ireland cars are better kept and looked after than Irish ones, but recent work done by Michelin seems to bear this old wives' tale out.
The French tyre makers carried out a "Fill Up With Air" promotion recently as part of international tyre safety week, and invited motorists to bring their cars along to have the tyres checked for free, and inflated to the correct pressure. Four locations around the island of Ireland were used – Galway, Naas, Dungarvan and Ballymena.
In Ballymena, a reasonably healthy 44 per cent of those arriving had their tyres inflated to the correct pressure, and that’s out of 158 vehicles in total.
The numbers for cars in the three locations in the Republic were significantly more worrying though. In Naas, 90 vehicles presented for checking of which only 20 per cent passed muster. Of the remainder, a huge 42 per cent had tyres that were ranked ‘dangerous’ or ‘very dangerous’. A marginally better picture emerged in Galway where 31 per cent of vehicles had tyres that were correctly inflated with 32 per cent falling into the ‘dangerous’ and ‘very dangerous’ category, while Dungarvan saw 46 per cent of vehicles falling inside the ‘dangerous’ or ‘very dangerous’ categories.
Pressures between 7psi and 14psi below the manufacturer's recommendation are classified as 'dangerous' by Michelin, while 15psi and below underinflation falls into the 'very dangerous' category. One in every three vehicles was found to have tyres that were deemed to be 'dangerously' or 'very dangerously' underinflated.
Martin Stuart, events manager for Michelin in the UK and Ireland, said: "We run these Fill Up With Air events to highlight just how important it is to look after your tyres. Underinflated tyres are dangerous - control and braking distances are harmed, and the risk of skidding,aquaplaning, punctures and blow-outs increases significantly.
“Underinflated tyres also use a lot more fuel, so making sure they are at the correct pressure and in good condition saves money and lives. I would urge Irish motorists to know the correct tyre pressures for their vehicles and to check their tyres regularly.”
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) commented that “Inflation pressure is important, as the pressurised air inside your tyre has to support the weight of your vehicle and its load. Tyre pressures may vary depending on the vehicle model and the load being carried.
“We recommend that you check your tyre pressures regularly against the manufacturer’s specifications for your vehicle, for which you should refer to your owners’ handbook, at your local service station.”
