Depending on your car, tires can be expensive, we know. But sometimes, there are things you have to purchase like a good set of tires, which you should really spend the extra buck on as it could literally save your life.

Take this recent story for example. Keith Johnston, a 41-year-old man from Tyne and Wear, which is a metropolitan county in North East England, is now paralyzed from the chest down due to the unfortunate bout of purchasing what he claimed to be “partly worn tires” for his Renault Scenic minivan.

While driving in Carlisle in below freezing conditions, Keith lost control of the car which jumped the curb and rolled down into a ditch. And while four passengers escaped uninjured, Keith himself was not so lucky.

When police arrived at the scene, they blamed the tires as a “major contributory factor in the accident.” The police stated that the rear tires were at an illegal tread depth, even though they had been only recently fitted on the car.

Still recovering from the incident, Keith, now with the use of only his neck and arms, was asked about the life-altering event and the purchase of partly worn tires.

“I thought I was saving money with part worn tyres but I’ve paid a terrible price. If I knew then what I know now, I would never have bought part worn tyres. Unfortunately for me it’s too late but I would urge other drivers to steer clear of part worn tyres and always opt for brand new ones.”

After news broke of the incident, UK’s TyreSafe, a not-for-profit organization for raising awareness about the importance of correct tire maintenance and the dangers of defective and worn tires, along with car magazine Auto Express began an investigation on the safety of partly worn tires throughout.

Thorough investigation between the two found 98% of these types of used tires to be deemed illegal for use due to low treads, unsafe repairs and exposed cords, among others. They even found one tire that was considered to have the “potential to kill” with a metal object protruding 5cm deep into the tire.

Moral of the story kids, don’t be cheap, it could kill you.

By Jeff Perez

Story References: TyreSafe

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