Acts of random vandalism are normally attributed to gangs of teenage hoodies, but an 89 year-old woman in Kaiserslautern, Germany, has shown that this is not the exclusive domain of the young. The ageing vandal has been convicted of slashing over 50 tyres in an unexplainable frenzy of activity in the town of Rockenhausen, in April.

The pensioner has escaped a prison sentence and will make amends by knitting jumpers for the residents of a retirement home. Helmet Bleh, the prosecuting attorney said, “We’ll drop the case if she knits a few pullovers. We can’t send her to prison, and she doesn’t have the money to pay a fine”. Social workers are satisfied that this particular “Hell’s Granny” will not re-offend as she has now been placed in a retirement home. It is to be hoped that she won’t find a different use for her knitting needles.

Tyre manufacturers Nokian have announced the launch of a new tyre designed specifically for use on urban four-wheel drive vehicles. The Nokian HT SUV is a summer tyre built for use on asphalt surfaces, but it is equally at home on small, twisty roads and on sand and gravel. The tyre will have T and H speed ratings, and will be available in a range of sizes to fit all European 4×4’s. The new tyre will go on sale in spring 2009.

The tyre offers versatile driving for 4×4’s. Its asymmetrical tread delivers precise handling in both wet and dry conditions. Stone removers in the tyres tread prevent the embedding of small stones, and the tyre cleans itself when driving on soft terrain. The tyre boasts an inside-outside tread pattern, which gives excellent stability and minimizes the risk of aqua-planing.

The life-span of the tyre is increased by a “Double Mud Stopper”, which prevents mud and stones from getting trapped between the tyre and the wheel rim. Nokian’s “Cool Silica” compound gives flexibility, making the tyre suitable for use in a variety of temperatures. This compound is also extremely environmentally friendly, using only pure low-aromatic oils in its construction.

With the cost of living rising all the time, it appears that motorists are putting themselves at risk by trying to get greater mileage out of their tyres. According to a recent report motorists are avoiding replacing worn or damaged tyres. This is a false economy as it increases the risk of accidents, and may result in criminal prosecutions.

More than 75 percent of the motorists involved in the survey had at least one dangerously worn tyre on their vehicle. It appears that drivers of premium vehicles are the ones most guilty of ignoring the condition of their tyres.

Adrian Walsh, director of Roadsafe, says this is a worrying trend, “This research is worrying. Clearly drivers are delaying the replacement of worn tyres which is a false economy and will place drivers at greater risk of having an accident”.