Trading Standards find lethal part worn tyres are still being sold

16 people killed and 908 road casualties that involved illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres in 2015

Trading Standards find lethal part worn tyres are still being sold
Motorists are still being duped into buying dangerous and illegal tyres. Image: Bigstock.

Part-worn tyres are still being sold with serious safety defects, unsafe repairs and incorrect labelling, council Trading Standards teams have said.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has reported that as many as 83 per cent of used tyres are being sold illegally in some areas.

Durham County Council officers found that only one out of 39 per cent of tyres stocked at dealers featured the required ‘part-worn’ tyre marking, with 25 tyres having problems that could impair safety.

Ten tyres had unsafe repairs, nine were over ten-years-old and one was 23-years-old.

‘Irresponsible traders’

Simon Blackburn, chairman of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said: “The prevalence of dangerous used tyres for sale at some businesses is alarming and irresponsible traders have got questions to answer because they are putting lives at serious risk.

“Cheap part-worn tyres might be tempting to buy but if they don’t have the correct legal markings, motorists risk buying illegal tyres which could contribute to a major accident.

“Motorists buying used tyres should go to a reputable trader and check they have ‘part-worn’ stamped on them as without this mark, they are unlikely to have been checked and the retailer is breaking the law.

“New tyres are available to suit all budgets, provide a safer option and should last longer, meaning they may offer better value for money in the long term.”

‘Should be made illegal’

Previously commenting on GW about part-worn tyres, Dave Hawkins of Bridport Tyres said: “I have been fitting tyres for more than 30 years and would never fit a part worn/used tyre.

“As I am also a retained firefighter, and get called to many accidents usually with worn or unsafe tyres on the cars involved, I believe all part worn/second hand tyres should be made illegal to fit.

“Until this happens they will always be a scourge of the industry.”

Similarly, Unity Garage in Barnsley said: “Part-worn tyres should be made illegal if a car owner can’t afford a tyre they shouldn’t be running a car.”

Do you supply tyres in your garage? Are you concerned about the part-worn tyre trade? Share your experiences and comments below.

6 Comments

  1. So how do the numbers of accidents match up to the figures shown as a reason to extend the MOT cycle to 4-1-1? This story just underlines the need to keep the MOT as it is and enforce professional routine servicing on a regular basis.

    Reply
    • A wider perspective is needed here. If someone buys a secondhand car do they change the tyres immediately? No they don`t !! so there would be problems with the definition of what constitutes the sake of second hand tyres. I agree that tyres should be stamped and sidewalls drilled if they are beyond use but blanket statements are of no use at all.

      Reply
  2. So how do the numbers of accidents match up to the figures shown as a reason to extend the MOT cycle to 4-1-1? This story just underlines the need to keep the MOT as it is and enforce professional routine servicing on a regular basis.

    Reply
    • A wider perspective is needed here. If someone buys a secondhand car do they change the tyres immediately? No they don`t !! so there would be problems with the definition of what constitutes the sake of second hand tyres. I agree that tyres should be stamped and sidewalls drilled if they are beyond use but blanket statements are of no use at all.

      Reply
  3. So why in the UK do we not do checks on the dates stamped on the sidewalls? That would fail the majority and get them off the road at MOT time. It seems to me that all these various departments are happy to complain but don’t do anything to change legislation.

    Reply
  4. So why in the UK do we not do checks on the dates stamped on the sidewalls? That would fail the majority and get them off the road at MOT time. It seems to me that all these various departments are happy to complain but don’t do anything to change legislation.

    Reply

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