How Accidents Happen

[madboy]

We all know about excessive speed, drink drive, careless driving, fatigue and all the usuals. And we ain't even gonna get into dumbass cagers. But I came across one tonight that I just had to share - dumbass OWNERS. Bear with me here.

I rock up to the olds place for dinner tonight (free steak and no dishes, I don't complain). Walk up the driveway past my mother's friend's car. 2000 Nissan Pulsar hatch. A fetching shade of red, WOF expires April 06, rego May. One owner from new, a single late-50s spinster who is the stereo-typical perfect driver (so says LTNZ). Never been in anything more than a minor ding, doesn't speed too much, doesn't drink too much, doesn't overtake anything, always drives a WOF/reg'd car.

Front left tyre was displaying the tread wear indicators on the outside edge, which I took great delight in hassling her about when I got to the dinner table (she's not short of a buck this woman). "Oh, do you think they need replacing? But my warrants not due for a couple of months!" We exchanged friendly banter about reduced stopping distance in the wet, likelihood of killing poor unsuspecting bikers, children on pedestrian crossings etc.

After dinner I went out to move the bike so my partner could take our dog to doggy school. The most highly trained yet unruly animal you'll ever meet. But I digress. As we go past the car again, I thought, what are the odds that they tyres are bald on the inside edge? Well f*** me!!!! Bald? No. That requires rubber to be covering the steel belts. Check out the photo. In fact the photo doesn't really do it justice. The canvas was gone, belts were gone, and the rubber under the belts was wearing.

She had NO IDEA. And was fully planning on driving the car without looking at anything for the next TWO MONTHS until it needed a WOF. So as I put the spare on the left we discussed how the tread wearing out was not in anyway related to the sticker on the windscreen. She took it well, even when I explained the insurance implications (no insurance if your car is not up to a WOFable standard). Unfortunately our other cars spares weren't suitable for the RH side tyre that's just as f***ed. Wgtn bikers, cagers, cyclists, pedestrians and parents will be pleased to know the car's parked up at the olds until tomorrow AM when it will be crawling a couple of kays to the local tyre dealer. I recommend avoiding Lower Hutt between 7 and 8am tomorrow morning though - just to be sure.

Take care out there - it's not just the driver who's trying to kill ya, it's the owners too.

[Nicksta]

jesus..... and she didn't notice these???
lucky you pointed it out.... saved some damage me thinks....

[Motu]

Amaizing how many people think their WoF lasts for 6 months...like,between the last check and the next one everything is ok because it's got a WoF.Wrong! The WoF is a test on the day of issue,it checks the wear between the last check,and this one - it doen't go into tomorrow,it's the day of issue.The last check those tyres may of been perfectly leagal on 2 or 3mm - a trip to Auckland would finish them off,or it could of only done 200km to the next WoF.It's the owners responsability to keep it up to WoF standard,but all they see is the sticker on the screen.The situation is worse with 12mth WoFs,no way will a car stay up to WoF standards for a whole year.

[Colapop]

I can't see what the issue is??? The STICKER doesn't say that the tyre is due to be replaced! I don't get it??:slap:

And that's just it isn't it? They're not bad people - just don't know any better....

[sunhuntin]

never seen anything like that before! nuts!! wouldnt they make some kinda noise??

[madboy]

I was waiting for someone like Motu to post. Quite restrained today, fella. I guess you'd see this type of stupidity fair too often?! Whereas people like Speedmedic see the other end, if Scumdog isn't quick enough to get there first. But what's scary is that SD would have no reason to - middle aged white woman, lives in high socio-economic area driving a basic late-model middle-class shopping trolley.

[nadroj]

The easiest way I find to explain to people is - A WOF check is only an audit to make sure the vehicle is being kept up to legal standards with the onus on the 'Driver' to monitor this.
Not sure about something then ask - plenty of mechanics, garages & tyre shops out there.

[myvice]

I like hearing "But it passed last time"
Odd that, in only 6 months and about 10,000ks later somethings worn...
Dont make em like they used to!

[scumdog]

Hmm pretty bad eh
I bet there's a shitload of other 'old dears' driving around in similar ignorance but unless she does a hell of a lot of miles I would have expected her WOF man to say "well, that's the last warrant THAT tyres going to get" or something similar, after all four months ago it SHOULD have been getting marginal one would have thought.

Might be a timely reminder for us to have a quick check of our mum/grandma/aunties tyres - or any other non-car type relation for that matter.

I deal with young bozos all the time that say 'but you can't give me a ticket for XXXXX because it got a new warrant last week/month' and they know full well the XXXXX has been like that for a while - yet feel the WOF is a blanket cover against all faults

I patiently explain a WOF is a 50/50 thing - it's good for 50 seconds or 50 metres after being stuck on the windscreen.

Hell, even when I was a boy guys put good skinny tyres on their Zephyr for a WOF and then swapped the baldish fat ones back on when they got home.

[Marmoot]

I think I'm missing something.
The tyre in the photo seems like a good quality tyre to me.

It even has more grooves than F1 tyres.

On the other hand, I've seen cars in perfect condition crash nonetheless.............and this is by no means rare either............................................ ..




So, I always go out there with the thoughts everyone is out to get me......and that is while I'm driving the car

[bugjuice]

worst I saw was some big mazda thing (can't remember the model, but the big fat ass one) that was just a sorry state.

It had 4 kids bouncing around in the back unrestrained. Bad idea

It had both front tyres replaced with 'get you home' doughnuts on. Bad idea.

Both 'doughnuts' had absolutely no fucking tread on. They were as slick as a rubber swimming ring. Bad idea.

It was drizzling.

I hope the kids got out, and they span off the road. I think that'd be the only thing that would have taught them anything..

[Motu]

Yeah,I see this stuff every day,I wear gloves checking tyres because the steel belts really rip your hands up,I go up the road with the car wobbling all over the place...come back to find burst cords.They drive out the door saying they'll get new tyres....they'll find some Indian tyre shop with real cheap second hand tyres and come back for a recheck.And all I get is abuse,it's all my fault their tyres wore out...

[madboy]

And all I get is abuse,it's all my fault their tyres wore out...

Hey, they've paid their $50, it's your job to give them the sticker so the fuzz don't hassle them. The tyres' all good, it's holding air. What's your beef? Don't they work better once the treads worn off like doz race car fingies?

[MisterD]

I think this is a hole in the WOF regulations. Tyres only have to have whatever tread depth it is across what 2/3rds of the width? Flame me for being a whinging POM if you like, but UK MoT standards require (admittedly a shallower depth) tread across the whole tyre.

This sort of wear pattern ought to be a clue that your tracking is all to hell too....

[Motu]

That 3/4 of legal tread depth thing pisses me off - the UK changed some years ago to across the full tread width and I hoped we would too,but no.So I can pass a tyre that's completly bald on the inside,and know that in 2 weeks it will be down to the steel belt - but it passes on the day.

For bike tyres the middle can be completly bald,but as it's less than 1/4 of the tread it's completly legal - dumb,dumb,dumb.