Second hand tyre report

A recent mystery shopper investigation by TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyre safety organisation, found that 98 per cent of the part worn tyres it purchased failed to meet all of the regulations.

More worryingly though, the independent tyre examiner commissioned to inspect the tyres found that over a third of them contained potentially dangerous forms of non-compliance.

Indeed, one tyre was described by the inspection engineer as having the “potential to kill” as it still contained a metal object penetrating 5cm through the tread in a manner which was likely to result in sudden and total tyre failure had it been fitted to a vehicle. Other serious safety breaches included dangerous and unsafe repairs, exposed cords, bead damage and evidence of runflat damage.

Tyre safety remains a significant problem in the UK. The latest figures available from the DfT show that in 2011 there were more than 1,100 tyre related casualties on the UK’s roads.

“As household finances remain squeezed, we know that more drivers are turning to part worn tyres. While we maintain that new tyres are the safest option, we need to ensure that those opting for part worns buy only those which comply with legal requirements in order to minimise any safety risks,” Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe commented.

Trading standards officers, road safety professionals, tyre retailers and other interested parties can register for the free webinar by visiting www.tyresafe.org/webinar or contacting TyreSafe on 01787 226995.