Even more painful than a stock market crash: the latest victim of the credit crunch is road safety. Everyone is cutting costs and after road tax, insurance and NCT, not to mention high fuel prices, drivers can mistakenly assume that servicing a car is an unnecessary additional cost. But Mr Noel Gibbons Road Safety Officer is asking drivers to question this life-threatening behaviour. Winter is here and bad weather and more hours of darkness make having a healthy and safe car more crucial than ever!

New car sales in Ireland are already being affected by the credit crunch and there is now mounting evidence that motorists are delaying replacing worn and defective tyres or getting the car serviced. This false economy is putting drivers, passengers and other road users in danger of an accident or the potential for prosecution.

Mr Gibbons says: ''Well, if you can't afford to look after the safety of your car,it might be safer to take the bus, it is much cheaper to replace a tyre or bulb than wing or even worse, a life''.

Mr. Conor Faughnan, Public Affairs Manager, AA Ireland, "Irish people tend to treat their car the way they treat the dentist – they only go when they have a toothache or when something goes wrong. Cars need to be serviced regularly as per the manufacturers' specifications. This is important to protect your investment and prevent an expensive repair but more importantly it is essential for safety as well. Tyres, brakes, suspension and steering need to be professionally checked regularly."