Tyres In Ghana Are Mostly Expired

A study conducted by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has revealed that 75 per cent of tyres imported to Ghana have expired.

At a dialogue session to determine the best option in enforcing the minimum standards for second-hand tyres in Ghana recently in Accra, Rudolph Beckley, Deputy Director, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at NRSC, stated that used tyres in Ghana increase the risk of vehicular accident by 30 per cent.

“Over 15 per cent of vehicles involved in fatal crashes in Ghana had some form of defect on their tyres prior to the crash. Motorists driving on worn tyres are mostly the party at fault in accidents,” Rudolph noted.

According to the deputy director, “Even if the tyre hasn’t been used but was imported 4 years after its year of manufacture, it is no longer usable.

He urged Custom officials, Ghana Revenue Authority, Ministry of Transport and other stakeholders to push for the passage of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I 2180) into law.

“If the L.I 2180 is passed into a law, then with the help of all the stakeholders, we can fish out the tyres which are not fit to be used on our roads,” he noted.

He however explained that 85 per cent of vehicle users check their vehicle tyre pressure when it is low.

“Good tyre pressure is necessary to prevent excessive uneven wear of the tyre because poor tyre pressure can lead to potential safety problems. But from all indications, most Ghanaians have poor maintenances practices.”

In Ghana, drivers consult vulganizers who are mostly ignorant about most of issues related tyres.

The NRSC therefore assured stakeholders of its readiness to involve tyre importers, vulganizers and the general public in their campaign to help reduce road accidents in Ghana.