A road safety report by South African tyre manufacturers, based on information collected in 2021, has revealed that 41% of road accidents happen due to a burst tyre, and that a further 15% of accidents are caused by smooth tyres.
According to Les Richardson, vice president of the Tyres, Equipment, Parts Association (Tepa), this can be attributed to a lack of maintenance and ignorance of the road safety standards.
“As the only parts of a vehicle in direct contact with the road, tyres play a very important role in how your car performs. Neglecting maintenance and ignoring warning signs is asking for trouble.
“Basically, the contact point between the road and your vehicle is the tyre. More specifically, this equates to an area as long as the distance from the palm of your hand to the tip of your fingers and again as wide as the width of your palm.
“With that in mind, why would you willingly compromise your safety and that of those around you with worn or second-hand tyres that you do not know the history of?”
According to Richardson, several tyres sold by informal traders on the side of the road have been illegally imported or written off by the previous owner.
He explains that for a small budget car, each tyre bought new from a reputable Tepa fitment centre may cost between R500 and R800.
“This tyre has around 8 mm of tread depth at new. The legal limit is 1,5 mm of remaining tread depth. So, if you buy a tyre with 2 mm to 3 mm of tread remaining, for in the region of R200 to R250, that is a very expensive 1 mm to 2 mm of tread you are paying for.
“If the tyre has had fresh grooves cut into the existing tyre, that makes it even more dangerous and a worse deal. If the tyre casing has been re-grooved, the integrity of the casing could be impaired, and this could result in a weaker structure or even a slow leak. Older tyres also develop cracks that air can escape from.
“The poor road conditions in South Africa, potholes, debris, rocks, stones, loose gravel, poor road markings and livestock wandering around, make the health of your tyres so important.
“They must be able to get to grips with any road conditions,” said Richardson.
