XN000022-1978-12-31 — Page 6

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1978

MOTORCYCLISTS WARNED NOT TO USE CROSS-COUNTRY TYRES ON

PUBLIC HIGHWAYS *****

MOTORCYCLISTS NEED KNOBBLY TYRES TO WIN CROSS-COUNTRY RACES BUT THESE COMPETITON-TYPE WHEELS ARE DEFINITELY NOT FOR USE ON PUBLIC HIGHWAYS,

+THESE TYRES ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN USED ON PUBLIC HIGHWAYS,+ A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (SUNDAY) WHILE WARNING MOTOR-CYCLISTS TO SWITCH TO REGULAR TYRES WHEN THEY ARE USING THE IR MACHINES,

COMPETITION-TYPE TYRES, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT, WOULD NOT ONLY ENDANGER THE MOTOR-CYCLIST BUT ALSO OTHER ROAD USERS.

+ IT IS ALSO AN OFFENCE TO USE CROSS-COUNTRY TYRES ON PUBLIC HIGHWAYS, HE ADDED.

THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE STATES THAT ON FIRST CONVICTION, THE OFFENDER IS LIABLE TO A FINE OF $500 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR THREE MONTHS.

IN A RECENT CASE A MOTORCYCLIST CONVICTED OF DANGEROUS DRIVING CAUSING DEATH WAS USING A MOTORCYCLE FITTED WITH CROSS- COUNTRY TYRES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+CROSS-COUNTRY TYRES ARE SO DESIGNED THAT THEY HAVE A VERY GOOD GRIP ON SOFT GROUND AS THEY ARE MADE TO DIG INTO THE DIRT. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE A POOR ROAD-HOLDING PERFORMANCE ON NORMAL ROAD SURFACE.

+THERE CAN BE AN ADVERSE EFFECT IF THE MOTORCYCLIST DRIVING ON NORMAL ROAD BRAKES SUDDENLY AS THERE IS SIMPLY INSUFFICIENT CONTACT BETWEEN THE TYRES AND THE ACTUAL ROAD SURFACE,+ HE EXPLAINED.

MOREOVER, HE CONTINUED, THESE TYRES ARE CLEARLY AND INDIVIDUALLY MARKED AS UNSUITABLE FOR ROAD USE.

+THE DEPARTMENT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE GROWING NUMBER OF MOTORCYCLISTS WHO ARE FITTING CROSS-COUNTRY TYRES TO THE IR MOTOR CYCLES AND USING THEM ON PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.

+THE DEPARTMENT REGISTERED 17,000 MOTORCYCLES AT THE END OF OCTOBER THIS YEAR. THE CONTINUING MISUSE OF THIS TYPE OF TYRES WOULD BE A GREAT HAZARD TO ROAD SAFETY, THE SPOKESMAN WARNED.

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