FERGUS – As vehicle owners scramble to get their snow tires on before the first snowstorm, Tony MacMullin, owner of Tony’s Auto Service in Fergus, offers this advice:
Tie those tires down when you put them in your car and head to the garage.
“Tie them with a rope, get some straps, secure them to the seat or anchor them to hooks,” he says. “Just don’t drive around with loose tires in your car.”
MacMullin said he knew someone in a band who was driving to a gig who was involved in a collision. His guitar, not secured in the back seat, was thrown forward, struck him, and killed him.
“So, imagine what a 100-pound tire can do,” MacMullin said.
MacMullin has operated his auto repair business for almost 40 years and has seen tires transported in many different ways.
“I see them in the back seat leaning on a car seat. Sometimes there’s one in the front seat.
“For the safety of you and your passengers and other drivers on the road, make sure your tires are secured. If a tire comes flying at you, you’re dead,” he said.
Don’t forget pickup trucks
Pickup trucks are required by law to tie down and secure any cargo that’s transported in the back, but many people don’t think about tires because they are heavy and unlikely to blow away.
Word to the wise
“We’ve all been guilty of it, me included,” he said. “Tires can bounce around and if you have to make a rapid stop, they can come flying at you.
“It’s snow tire season right now, so word to the wise. It doesn’t take much to be in an accident these days.”
