Passing the test with rented tyres

An alarming 30 per cent of vehicles do not pass the annual test, say police, because of faulty tyres. The use of faulty tyres on a vehicle fools no one but the driver and passengers of the vehicle.

There is no point in wishing better care had been taken when family and friends lie dead and injured. The time to care is beforehand.

The practice in the UAE of people buying (or renting) one set of good tyres to pass the test, then reverting to the old set afterwards, is not new. In an attempt to stop the cheating, tyres are date-stamped and if expired, must be replaced immediately.

But such checks are only made at the time of the test. Perhaps parking inspectors should be given greater powers to check and ticket those who have expired tyres. It is, after all, not just the driver's life that is at stake.