Worrying research carried out by ‘not for profit’ road safety organisation TyreSafe suggests that male and female motorists are more likely to buy part worn tyres than they were 12 months ago. One assumes that this is due to the escalating cost of motoring and the financial pressures that we are all facing.
The problem is that whilst part worn tyres may seem cheap they are a false economy because they can pose a significant safety hazard to the driver, her passengers and other road users. In fact, in 2008 illegal, under-inflated or defective tyres are said to have contributed to the deaths of 34 drivers and the injuries of more than 900 other motorists.
The Chairman of TyreSafe, Stuart Jackson, reminds us that tyres play a critical role in vehicle safety and that there are very strict requirements to do with the sale of part worn tyres. But that, apparently, does not stop part worn tyres getting into the system from unreliable sources that do not meet the required standards. Stuart’s advice is simple and to the point…
“Whilst we understand the financial pressures being faced by [female] motorists today the risks associated with fitting part worn tyres are too high and we would always recommend fitting brand new tyres.”
Unsurprisingly TyreSafe research found that younger and novice drivers are much more likely to compromise their safety by buying part worn tyres compared with older drivers. One in five drivers aged between 18-34 said they were more likely to buy part worn tyres (compared with 12 months ago), whereas only one in twenty drivers aged over 55 said they were more likely to buy part worns.
Part worn tyres can come from a variety of sources making it extremely difficult to know their history. Some come from vehicles which have been written off following an accident; others are put back into service having been changed by their original owner; and many arise from situations where drivers switch between a set of summer and winter tyres and choose to refit brand new tyres rather than refitting their old set.
FOXY’s advice echoes Stuart’s - don’t buy part used or worn tyres unless you know their pedigree.
But how can the industry convince young student drivers, for example, who are unlikely to be reading blogs like this but who need every financial save they can get, living in debt and on limited funds?
The answer is surely to formalise the supply chain so that any used tyre sale comes with an approved provenence, with liability attached to the seller…
I suspect that is easier to write than do.
FOXY Steph
For more information about tyre safety or the dangers of part worn tyres, visit TyreSafe.
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