Vehicle factors, such as defective tyres, had a role to play in over 100 fatal road traffic accidents between 2008 and 2012, a major new report has revealed.

According to the Road Safety Authority, vehicle factors contributed to one in every eight fatal collisions between 2008 and 2012 - that is 101 collisions in total.

A total of 111 people died and 30 were seriously injured following collisions where vehicle defects were a contributory factor.

Defective tyres were the most significant vehicle factor identified and were linked to 71 road deaths and 19 serious injuries between 2008 and 2012. Defective brakes were also a big factor, contributing to 18 deaths and six serious injuries.

Drivers aged between 17 and 24 accounted for 47% of fatal collisions involving defective, worn or under-inflated tyres. The highest proportion of drivers with defective tyres were in Donegal, followed by Cork and Kerry.

"This report shows that tyres are the parts of your car that are most likely to put you at risk of a fatal collision if they're not roadworthy. Don't assume you can tell if there's a problem just by looking at them - you can't. I would strongly recommend that you check your tyres at least once a month. The easiest way to do this is to call into your local garage and get your tyres checked by an expert. Most will probably do this free of charge," commented RSA chief executive, Moyagh Murdock.

She urged people to invest in good tyres and to avoid purchasing used tyres, ‘as you can't be sure of their history'.

In order to highlight this issue, the RSA and the Gardai have launched a safety awareness campaign - ‘Grip'. This includes a TV, radio and cinema ad, which aims to highlight the fact that tyres are the one point of contact your car has with the road. The ad can be viewed here

"Tyres are the only part of your vehicle that keep you in contact with the road so it is critical that they are in roadworthy condition at all times. Your safety, along with the safety of your passengers and other road users, could depend directly on the condition of your vehicle's tyres," commented Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid with the Gardai.

Meanwhile, Ms Murdock called on all drivers to ensure that their vehicles are in roadworthy condition.

"This means conducting regular walk around checks on the vehicle before a journey to spot obvious issues like broken lights, worn tyres and worn windscreen wipers. It also means ensuring your vehicle is serviced regularly by a qualified mechanic. This should be at least twice a year, with one a general health check and one a more detailed check."