As the nation prepares to drive long distances for Christmas holidays, car mechanics are urging transport officials to face up to some bald facts about tyres.
They say minimum tread depths are too small and longer gaps between Warrant of Fitness tests mean more of us are driving potential death traps.
Every day mechanic Neville Hawker checks cars with dangerously bald tyres. Tyres must have a tread depth of 1.5 millimetres over three-quarters of the surface to pass a Warrant of Fitness.
The road toll has risen again this year and Mr Hawker fears longer gaps between Warrant of Fitness tests mean we're letting our tyres get balder than ever.
The Motor Trade Association wants the minimum tread depth to rise, and the AA wants the Transport Agency to educate drivers about safe tread depth.
The Transport Agency insists it does run a targeted education and advertising campaign.
It says the tread depth of 1.5 millimetres is in line with the requirements of overseas jurisdictions like Australia, but it encourages people to regularly check their tyres and not wait to replace them.
Mechanics like Neville Hawker say older generations would have done that automatically, but in today's hectic world few of us know how to check the oil, let alone change a tyre.
Newshub.
