Number of cars with poor tyres increasing on Dubai’s roads

Police say more than 8,000 cars were found to have poor tyres in the first half of this year.

The well-worn tyre of a lorry parked in Al Mafraq, Abu Dhabi. Police in Dubai say two deaths this year were caused by poor tyres. Paul O’Driscoll / The National

DUBAI // More than 8,000 cars were found to have tyres in poor condition in the first half of the year, police say.

And so far this year, two people have been killed and six injured in five accidents caused by faulty tyres, said police. Three were tyre blowouts and the other two involved tyres coming loose from vehicles.

Police recorded 8,544 cases in the first six months, an increase from 7,901 for the same period last year.

They said that in the first half, more than 1,400 vehicles were found to be unroadworthy.

Last year, two people were killed and 20 were injured in 10 accidents caused by poor tyres, compared with 15 accidents in 2012, which killed two people and injured 38.

In 2013 police found 12,168 vehicles with tyres in poor condition, and 1,104 unroadworthy vehicles.

So already in the first six months of this year more poorly maintained vehicles were found than in the whole of last year.

In 2012, 16,454 drivers were caught in vehicles with poor tyres and 1,164 were found to have vehicles in unacceptable condition.

On Tuesday, Dubai Police, in collaboration with Apollo Tyres, launched a 45-day campaign to educate motorists about tyre maintenance.

“A Summer Without Accidents campaign is to raise awareness among drivers to always pay attention to their tyres,” said Col Jamal Al Bannai, deputy director of Bur Dubai Police.

“We will give lectures in public and private sectors, hold exhibitions at shopping centres and distribute flyers.

“This is a very important issue because accidents that are a result of tyres or vehicles in poor condition may lead to deaths,” he said.

“Many resident at this time use their cars for transport and to travel. People will change their oil but tend to forget about their tyres in a country that is extremely hot in summer.”

The fine for driving a vehicle in poor condition or with faulty tyres is Dh200, and the car would be impounded for seven days.