Potholes are the greatest danger to motorists, says tyre company

The managing director of Continental Tyres Australia has warned that deteriorating roads are a significant road safety issue – calling out one state in particular.

Speaking to CarExpert as part of an Expert Insights interview we'll publish in full this Sunday, Mitchell Golledge was asked what the biggest road safety issue is in relation to tyres.

“Road conditions, unfortunately – it's got nothing to do with tyres. It's actually road conditions. The state of the roads, particularly [in] Victoria, means that a tyre in a car has a hard time trying to perform in any conditions like that.”

Mr Golledge explained that while the tyre industry is facing new challenges – like developing products that work with the weight and torque output of electric vehicles – those particular hurdles are being overcome through research and development.

“But if you're talking about the Australian environment at the moment, I would say road conditions are the biggest challenge for drivers.”

Last month, a 71-year-old man was killed on a regional highway in Victoria when he lost control of his motorcycle after striking a pothole.

However, crumbling road surfaces aren’t the only concern, with Mr Golledge explaining that motorists can do more to ensure their own safety while driving.

“It's a really simple message: inflation of tyres to the correct pressure, and checking of tyres on a regular basis, is probably the fundamental thing that we don't do in the Australian marketplace,” he said.

“We call into a service station, fill our car up with petrol or diesel or whatever it may be, and we don't check our tyres. And we should do that as a fundamental thing. We should do it once a week, but we don't.”

While potholes and tyre inflation can impact vehicle stability and traction, research published in recent years highlighted a different kind of road safety concern: psychology.

In 2024, Continental released the findings of a national survey, claiming overconfident men posed a major safety risk on Australian roads.

“Men can score higher in the illusion of control bias, which is when we overestimate our ability to control outcomes that are largely determined by external factors or chance,” Mr Golledge said at the time.

“Research has also shown that testosterone can be linked to increased risk-taking behaviour. Finally, social norms and expectations can increase pressure on men to appear confident and competent, and this can translate into overconfidence.”

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