Garda warning on defective tyres as they share pics of Cork crash

The Garda blitz on defective tyres that’s seen hundreds of cars stopped and carefully examined at checkpoints across Cork and Munster is to continue – with the force warning that too many motorists are taking risks with dodgy rubber.

CorkBeo has already reported on how some of the tyres seen at checkpoints in Cork have genuinely shocked Gardai – with a patched-up tyre that most of us would have hesitated to put on a wheelbarrow.

The force has also reminded motorists that you’re not just risking a crash if you travel on defective tyres – anything less than a 1.66mm thread will result in an on the spot €80 fine and 2 points on your licence.

And to underline just how serious the issue is, Gardai in Cork have posted a picture of a recent crash, which saw a car flip off the road and land on it’s side in a ditch. Closer examination of vehicle shows nearly or totally bald tyres, giving the driver little-to-no-chance of finding grip in a corner.

Once again urging motorists to check their tyres, the Gardai said: “The minimum permitted tyre tread depth is 1.6mm. For safety reasons, it is recommended that each tyre should have at least 3.0mm tread depth.”

“Recently Cork City Road Policing Unit carried out a tyre safety campaign where fixed charged notices were issued (€80 and 2 penalty points). They also attended a road traffic collision, thankfully the occupants were not seriously injured however the tyres were all under 1.6mm.”

Checks will continue through the summer on roads across Cork and Munster as Gardai look to get to grips with the issue of defective rubber – and as the picture of the car in the ditch shows, an €80 fine or 2 penalty points might be the least of your problems if you’re running on baldies.