Man almost crashes car in Wellington after climate action group tampers with his tyre

Climate action group Tyre Extinguishers has been deflating SUVs and utes' tyres around the country.
Climate action group Tyre Extinguishers has been deflating SUVs and utes' tyres around the country. Photo credit: File

Police are investigating after climate activists tampered with a man's car tyre, almost causing a crash in Wellington.

Police told Newshub they received a report of a car being tampered with on Willis Street on Tuesday. A spokesperson said the driver came back to their car to find a flyer claiming responsibility.

The flyer said the tyres had been deflated because gas guzzlers kill, according to Stuff.

The driver checked the car but found no damage so he began driving home. But he was forced to pull over just past the Porirua off-ramp after he realised his tyre had deflated.

The spokesperson said police are making enquiries into the incident and those involved.

According to Stuff, the flyer was distributed by a group called Tyre Extinguishers and stated "you'll be angry, but don't take it personally. It's not you, it's your car".

Newshub has contacted Tyre Extinguishers for comment.

On its website, the group details different ways to deflate tyres.

"We are people from all walks of life with one aim: To make it impossible to own a huge polluting 4x4 in the world’s urban areas," Tyre Extinguisher's website said.

"We are defending ourselves against climate change, air pollution and unsafe drivers. We do this with a simple tactic: Deflating the tyres of these massive, unnecessary vehicles, causing inconvenience for their owners.

"Deflating tyres repeatedly and encouraging others to do the same will turn the minor inconvenience of a flat tyre into a giant obstacle for driving massive killer vehicles around our streets," it continues.

Last month, the Tyre Extinguishers vowed to increase their actions of deflating utes and SUVs' tyres in Auckland.

The group also claimed it had spread from the North Island to the South and started deflating tyres in Christchurch.