MVA concerned over tyre-burst road crash upsurge

WINDHOEK, 20 SEP – The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund has expressed concern over increasing tyre-burst related crashes.
In a statement issued by the MVA Fund on Wednesday, fatalities as a result of tyre-burst related crashes showed an upsurge of 62 per cent between January 2017 and June 2018.
Fatalities related to tyre-burst crashes increased from five in 2017 to eight deaths by June 2018, the MVA said. However, the number of road crashes decreased from 29 last year to 13 in June 2018.
In order to maintain reliability, it was important to maintain the safety and roadworthiness of vehicles by conducting daily or weekly checks to spot possible defects before using the vehicle, the fund said.
“These checks include the inspection of vehicle tyres as tyre bursts mainly occur due to improper inflation, overloading, low-quality, speeding and natural wear and tear,” the statement said.
The fund urged motorists to consider conducting tyre inspections by checking air pressure, tyre tread depth to ensure optimum traction on the road and to ensure routine replacement, alignment and balancing of tyres.
Motorists should also do visual inspections of tyres to make sure there are no nails or other objects stuck in the middle that can cause an inflation pressure leak.
“The MVA Fund therefore, highlighting tyre-safety as a means to curb road crashes, appeals to all motorists to pay caution as failure to conduct regular tyre checks, may mean sustaining severe injuries and ultimately loss of life,” the statement said. – NAMPA