Part-worn tyre fitted days before 70mph motorway crash

Car owner wanted cheap tyre to "tide" her over but ended up smashing in central reservation following blowout

Part-worn tyre fitted days before 70mph motorway crash
Three 'unsatisfactory' repairs were carried out on the part worn tyre before it was fitted to Nicole's car just days before the crash.

A £25 part-worn tyre has been identified as a contributing factor which caused a 70mph motorway crash, an independent investigation has found.

The tyre, which has three ‘unsatisfactory’ repairs, was fitted to the Seat Ibiza just days before it spun out of control and smashed into the central reservation of the M40 in September, 2017.

The investigation, carried out by Newlaw Associates, blamed ‘improper repairs’ made to the tyre before it was fitted to the rear near-side wheel for the crash.

It’s been reported that insurers are still waiting to resolve the issue with the company that fitted the tyre – 17 months after the car was wrote off.

Owner of the car, Nicole Hunt’s passengers included her five-year-old son, her 11-year-old brother and their mum when the crash happened.

“I wanted a tyre to just tide me over”

She said: “I wanted a tyre to just tide me over for the trip which cost £25.

“After the accident my insurance company AXA organised for my car to be taken away for a forensic examination by Newlaw Associates.

“We are lucky because we had just passed a lot of traffic and were on a relatively quiet part of the motorway.

“My little boy banged his head on the back of my seat and the boys were really shaken up.

“But our injuries were nothing compared to what could have happened.”

Nicole’s insurance company is now requesting £18,000 to cover the cost of her car and the repairs to the central reservation.

“Gradual and progressive loss of inflation”

The Newlaw Associates investigation report said: “From the time the tyre was fitted to Miss Hunt’s vehicle, there would have been a gradual and progressive loss of inflation pressure from at least one of the repaired areas.

“On relatively straight roads, a gradual loss of pressure in a rear-fitted tyre can often go unnoticed – until such time the inflation pressure is low enough to cause the bead area to dislodge from its rim-seating and immediately deflate the tyre.

“Deflation of the tyre caused Miss Hunt to lose control of the vehicle and impact against the crash barrier.

“The tyre failed in service as a result of a gradual and progressive loss of inflation pressure from within the tyre due to improper repairs to the bead area.”

Opinion: Why we refuse to fit part worn tyres

The tyre company at the centre of the insurance claim has confirmed it is cooperating with trading standards.

A spokesman said: “Trading standards has been out to us and we’re complying with them as we always have been.

“They’ve never had an issue with us and we’ll take any of its advice on board.”

Share your comments on part-worn tyres below.

Home Page Forums Part-worn tyre fitted days before 70mph motorway crash

  • This topic has 10 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 5 years ago by Hugh.
Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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  • #171948 Reply

    A £25 part-worn tyre has been identified as a contributing factor which caused a 70mph motorway crash, an independent investigation has found. The tyr
    [See the full post at: Part-worn tyre fitted days before 70mph motorway crash]

    #171975 Reply
    Dave
    Guest

    If Trading Standards have never had an issue with them, how com they are “complying” with them as they always have ?
    Owner of vehicle should bear some responsibility for purchasing a worn tyre !

    #171977 Reply
    Marcus
    Guest

    It’s not a cheap tyre NOW is it!
    £18000 , lucky she didn’t kill herself and her passenger’s.

    #171978 Reply
    David
    Guest

    It does not seem to me that the part worn tyre has anything to do with the tyre failing. Reading the information above I interpret that as a tyre having had three previous repairs. When a tyre has operated under inflated to such an extent that the tyre material is deflecting in various directions while in use, it is possible to the deflection of the material could impact the repairs and then the patch start to separate from the body of the tyre. We all have customers arriving at reception asking for part worn tyres because they are cheaper than new. It’s just to get by temporarily and the customer says will have a new one in due course, well of course they will. Time for the professional trade to step in and put the government in their place and just make it illegal to fit anything that is not brand new. the government are as much to blame here as anyone else.

    #171981 Reply
    Richard Bruce
    Guest

    its all a shame! we do not fit part worn tyres as my public liability insurance does not cover me and I have to declare each year to them that I do not fit part worn tyres. so how any one else in a professional capacity can do this is beyond me, also if repairing a puncture if the tyre has been already had a previous repair [easy to spot!!] I will not carry out a second let alone a third repair. I would be holding the person who fitted the tyre responsible. Budget tyres also should be banned we have customers with £60k of cars who request budgets !!!!. the owner should also be punished for buying a cheap tyre and putting not her life but other at risk. should social services be called because she did put her children at risk by putting them in the car and driving with the knowledge of a part worn tyre being fitted!!. on another note ref tyres I also get customers coming in that have had tyes fitted at a tyre specialist!! with the question why do my tyres keep going down the answer is simple all it needs is and extra 5- 10 mins spent cleaning the rims and don’t use that black Shit.

    #171984 Reply
    David
    Guest

    Alloy wheels are not always the best at maintaining correct tyre pressures, the manufactures seem to use some type of coating to prevent them from becoming porous which after some time deteriorates. I have an Audi with alloy wheels and have spent good money on tyres only to find that even those tyres loose pressure over time, the wheels being the problem.

    #171989 Reply
    andrew watkins
    Guest

    The report says the tyre lost pressure due to improper repairs to the bead area, i am no tyre expert but you would not be able to repair the beading would you, isn’t it the edge of the tyre.If the driver had checked the tyre pressure before her trip she would have noticed the low pressure.
    Always someone elses fault

    #172004 Reply
    Alastair
    Guest

    I agree that fitting of part worn tyres should not be allowed, the tyre is the main thing that keeps the car on the road. I do have to question how her son ‘banged his head on the back of her seat’ during the accident? Wasn’t he securely strapped in then? That’s not the tyre’s fault!

    #172026 Reply
    Norma Fitzpatrick
    Guest

    David and Richard very well said summed up beautifully

    #172151 Reply
    Roy Bryant
    Guest

    Every one of us that have bought a used car has had part worn tyres on it and have not known their history.

    #173116 Reply
    Hugh
    Guest

    If you read it it is the place that sold and fitted the tyre that said they had never had a problem before,

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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