Drivers are still risking their health, money and even their liberty by choosing to buy cheaper part-worn tyres instead of paying for new ones, only to discover that decision can come at a terrible price.

A multi-agency operation run during October across England and Scotland found that of 68 businesses selling part-worn tyres, 67 were taking customers’ money for treads which were illegally worn and of those, 75% were condemned as being dangerous. Police and fire services, Trading Standards, the Health and Safety Executive, Environment Agency, Department for Work and Pensions and industry lobby body, TyreSafe, visited the businesses across England and Scotland and were left shaken by what they found. During one week-long operation in the North East, 29 businesses were inspected and not one complied with regulations. Stuart Jackson, Chairman of TyreSafe, said: “Despite years of appalling results from these investigations into the retail of part worn tyres, these findings still come as a shock. How can it be acceptable that three-quarters of the part worn tyres offered for sale were unsafe? Tyres are the only part of car in contact with the road and essential to road safety – selling dangerous examples to unsuspecting motorists is putting lives at risk.” Now there are renewed calls for businesses selling part-worns to be governed by the same standards as those selling new one tyres. Stuart said: “The number of dangerous part worn tyres being sold is no doubt related to the widespread incompetence of the retailers. With just one of the 68 retailers found to be compliant with the law, surely the part worn trade must vastly improve its standards before the British motorist can have any confidence in them. “Until that happens, TyreSafe continues to urge drivers to buy new tyres to avoid paying a potentially heavy price for choosing to fit unsafe part worns.” TyreSafe is campaigning to drive compliance of part worn retailers with the governing legislation (Consumer Protection Act 1987, referencing the Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994) and raising their competence to a level comparable to new tyre retail technicians. Quite apart from the health risks, drivers involved in a crash and later found to have a vehicle with illegally worn or dangerous tyres will probably find their insurance is invalidated. They can be heavily fined and in extreme cases even face jail.