To coincide with Ireland’s Tyre Safety Day which falls this year on Monday October 6, premium tyre manufacturer, Continental Tyres is calling for stronger emphasis on tyre safety for learner drivers across Ireland who are preparing for their driving test. Tyre Safety Day kicks off the Road Safety Authority’s dedicated Road Safety Week in Ireland which runs from October 6–12.
Tom Dennigan, Head of Continental Tyres Ireland, says that initiatives like Tyre Safety Day are great for highlighting the importance of tyres as a key element in road safety: “The truth is that as tyres are your vehicle’s only contact point with the road, drivers who neglect their tyres, do so at theirs, and other road users’, peril. Our message for this year’s Tyre Safety Day is let’s focus on young learner drivers, if they start out with a strong understanding and respect for tyre safety they are more likely to stay safe and have a better attitude to road safety throughout their driving lives.”.
“However, we need to get the powers that be to seriously look at and update the tyre awareness elements of the driving test in Ireland. It has traditionally focussed on some of the key details of tyre care, such as tread depth and how to check your tyres but it needs to keep up with the times. For example, as we see more and more EVs on the road, what about including some detail on the key impact tyres can have on the proper running of an EV. Or now that the majority of new cars are supplied without a spare wheel, replaced instead by tyre repair kits consisting of a compressor and bottle of sealant, the preparation for new learner drivers needs to include detail on how to use such new technologies. This is a skill gap that could leave drivers stranded or, worse, attempting unsafe roadside repairs”.
“Additionally, weather can have a huge impact on how our tyres and indeed, our cars perform, it would be useful for learner drivers to be instructed on how different tyre products are specifically designed to maximise performance and road safety as the weather changes with the seasons”.
Continental Tyres Ireland has partnered with Dublin-based driving instructor content-creator, Ross Smith, known as thevirtualdrivinginstructor.ie online, in order to educate new learner drivers as to the best ways to ensure tyres continue to keep their car safe on the road. The partnership will see the production of an engaging and instructive piece of video for social media use that will highlight the importance of tyre safety to the learner driver audience.
According to Ross: “As an experienced driving instructor, I know the truth of the saying ‘look after your tyres and they will look after you’. I am always amazed at the lack of knowledge of a good percentage of my learner driver students who are happy to get out on the road with little or no appreciation of how crucial tyres are for the overall safety of a vehicle. I would echo Tom Dennigan’s call for a better and more up to date focus to be put on the tyre safety elements of the driving test. I always tell my student drivers, if there is one thing you should never skimp on with your car, it is tyres and once you have the right tyres, look after them, drive in a way that maximises their lifespan – which in truth, just means slow down and drive at all times with the utmost care. Also, I try to instil in my students the need to regularly check tyre pressures and keep a watchful eye for excessive wear or damage – learners who embed those habits early are starting out with the right attitude”.
