This scares the curse word out of me!!!

[stealthstylz]

In the stretched tyre thread I mentioned that people shouldn't be scared of people running stretched tyres, but all the people running round with bald tyres etc.

We have loads coming into work. Whenever i'm walking I also now look at the tyres of every car and if they're knackered leave a note for the owner.

This is a typical case. Old woman pulled up in this Omega and straight away I noticed this. All 4 tyres were the same. I told her that they were down to the canvas and she said "well we really look after it". Errrrr obviously not.



For some reason in the last few years the problem is getting slowly worse. Too many roadside ANPR cameras and not enough proper policing going on imo.

Matt

[Tim]

Cars are more reliable - if it starts, its obviously safe and never needs looking at does it (in their eyes)

probably a similar amount with headlights out, indicators out, knackered brake pads, no water in washer bottle etc...

reminds me, i've got to look at my pads tomorrow - I hope ECP have some in stock if they are dead

Those tyres are bloody scary though - how can you not notice them?

I got shouted at by an old lady for telling her that a rear tyre on her car was very low, and that we'd help to sort it if she didnt have a pump (she was in a ferry queue so plenty of time to fix) - she told me to mind my own business!

[reanimation]

is that 12 points then? AKA ban!

[Tim]

reanimation said:

is that 12 points then? AKA ban!

Thats a good point!

It's people like me who are dangerous drivers though 25 year olds with big engined cars (2 litre diesel is big in these peoples eyes), apparently, not old giffers who can't see and drive deathtraps at 45mph everywhere in the middle of the road

bah

[ironmighty07]

It never fails to amaze me how many people you see driving in a pious overtly safe manner(and I have no issue to speed limit and trapping in suburban areas) on open roads(you know the sort 45mph on 'good' roads etc) as guardians for road safety who subsequently have defective lights, tyres and so on. Because of the government campaigns to tell all speed alone kills and because the cars start etc, as Tim rightly put, people don't give a damn about things like brake pads, tyres until they are well past safe.

The other week I developed a vibration on the daily which I attributed to a piece of timber I struck on the motorway and wasn't passing anywhere to put a little air in wihtout going further out my way to do so. I thought I'll get the vehicle home and put some air in there.. Whilst I got home in one piece I was horrified to find three massive blebs on the inside wall and the tyre delaminating in a major way.Scary and bloody lucky, so check immediately you have any doubt.

[rustybits]

95% + of accidents are pure driver error. Personally, I see shot tyres and brakes as another kind of driver error, but accidents caused by those are still rare.

Just about every accident is caused by somebody not looking where they are bloody well going.

But I have also seen people driving around with flats. The condition of those cars isn't what scares me though. They are still controllable. It is the fact that the driver is so oblivious to what is going on around them, they didn't notice the flat.. If they didn't notice the flat, will they notice ME before it is too late?

[dave21478]

A freind of mine lives in a house up a very bumpy dirt road, maybe a mile long.
They had some folk round and some woman, when leaving, blasted down this road way too fast and burst a tyre. Completely oblivious, she carried on, and even once onto the normal tarmac, still didnt notice. The police stopped her, as she was driving with no tyre left at all, and a completely buggered alloy rim.
"thought the roads were a little bumpy here" was her comment.

My sister is the same (though not as bad) Whenever I'm home I check her tyres and they are invariably all under 15psi and very often worn through on the edges.
"But I don't know anything about cars" she says.
Its hardly difficult to check tyres though, but as said, if the car runs, then it must be okas far as she is concerned.

[eiriksmil]

dave21478 said:

My sister is the same (though not as bad) Whenever I'm home I check her tyres and they are invariably all under 15psi and very often worn through on the edges.
"But I don't know anything about cars" she says.
Its hardly difficult to check tyres though, but as said, if the car runs, then it must be okas far as she is concerned.

So only the ones who know a thing or two about cars will feel changes from a fine tyre to a worn out and almost flat one?

As a motorist it's your responsibility that the car you are driving is safe. Not all motorists on this planet obviously learnt that.

[poproddernot]

i got 2 new front tyres fitted this week on the daily, could'nt believe when the tyre fitter said they're not down to the wear blocks yet!!! and could last a few miles more!!!
these were worn out in my eyes yet the so called expert was saying wait to change them!!!
chris.

[scaryoldcortina]

Tyres. don't even get me started, lol
I've taken to removing or slashing the sidewalls on knackered/cracked/older than you are tyres since I gave a cortina owner some rims (with absolutely lethal ancient rubber) on the condition that the tyres went in the bin. He promised, and as he was a kwik-fit fitter (lol, really). Six monts later, I get the same car in (with a new owner) in for a clutch. Guess whats on the back? yup, the bakalite specials. Asked him about the handlin, he says its terrifying, but its an old car, they are all like that Took him for a spin in my mk3, and convinced him new tyres was the best option.

Its also impossible to walk through asdas carpark without spotting at least half a dozen cars with illegal tyres (like six year old, polished every sunday, bald factory fitted rubber all round) and another 20 or so with very obvious under pressure. Obviously, car technology has progressed to the point where tyres last for ever, and never lose air so never need checking.
Telling people 3 points and £1000 per tyre tends to motivate them, but most folk only consider tyres at MoT time.

[Robinxr4i]

Yep I totally agree at work I often get called out to look at car stereos, scratch repair quotes ect and its alarming the amount of cars I see on a daily basis with bald or damaged tyres. People simply don't care they have the MOT once a year and that the only time they worry about it.

[edhall]

I agree. A few years ago when I was a little more cavalier about this sort of thing i had a moss-covered Astra estate that was run on a serious budget. It had secondhand remoulds on the back that never seemed to wear out but it had a horrific shake at anything above 50 because one wasn't round any more.
Then one day when stupidly trying to chase a Porsche 911 on the M6 Toll (god knows why I embarked on this mindless task) one blew whilst on a bend. It sent me slewing across the thankfully empty motorway. Filler was flying everywhere but luckily i managed to get it safely to the hard shoulder. Now I'm a bit of a Nazi about tyres - they're your one hope of being able to avoid something/stop/not loose control.
Incidently, I don't have a problem with 2nd hand if I'm buying from a yard if you check carefully. The amount of people who put new tyres on their car 6months before it fails an MOT badly.
As previously said, it's the 3-6 yr old car brigade that seem to think that tyres will last forever.

[14500rpm]

dave21478 said:

A freind of mine lives in a house up a very bumpy dirt road, maybe a mile long.
They had some folk round and some woman, when leaving, blasted down this road way too fast and burst a tyre. Completely oblivious, she carried on, and even once onto the normal tarmac, still didnt notice. The police stopped her, as she was driving with no tyre left at all, and a completely buggered alloy rim.
"thought the roads were a little bumpy here" was her comment.

My sister is the same (though not as bad) Whenever I'm home I check her tyres and they are invariably all under 15psi and very often worn through on the edges.
"But I don't know anything about cars" she says.
Its hardly difficult to check tyres though, but as said, if the car runs, then it must be okas far as she is concerned.

I fear that all the run flat tyres that a lot of cars come fitted with now will just make the problem worse.

[bazzateer]

Modern cars tend to have pas, firm suspension and low profile rubber so when there's a problem the 'average' driver doesn't notice the change in feel.

[milfordcubicle]

I put a note on a CityRover with similar tyres, next time I saw it, it had new ones put on.

[Rich G]

No, you're all missing the point! So long as they're not speeding they must be safe...........

[Pillock]

I pick up 16" tyres, with at least 4mm tread on, for £20 fitted. 15" ones are only £16 fitted. Price includes balancing and valves. Knowing that, I cannot comprehend how people drive around with the canvas showing! All I can imagine is that they've gone to ATS, been quoted £120 for a new Z-rated Michelin SuperDooper4000 and decided the risk it. They did it to me once, and it was a struggle to get him to check the 'budget' ranges.... less than half the price!

[dollywobbler]

It's worse than that Pillock. I think people just don't think to check their tyres. With service intervals getting pushed out ever further, it's surely going to become more of an issue. I reckon manufacturers have only done that so engines run out of oil (because numpties don't check them) and go bang and therefore need to be replaced.

[guz]

a friend of mine never checks her tyres,
says she expects it done as part of the annual service,
i don't ask for a lift any more from her cos she just
looks at me blankly when i fume at her about it.

[ramirez]

don't let it get to you guys. Lets be honest, most people simply see cars as a means to get from A to B.

I "look after" 9 cars of friends and family to make sure they're safe. Just do what you can.