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Drivers in and around the city of Bristol in Western England are trying to save money by replacing their car tyres with part-worn rubber but are putting their and the lives of other road users in peril.
The same applies to those roadside outdoor stacks of used tyres in every town and city in South Africa - the dangers of using them are enormous, putting them on minibus taxis way more so.
'HIDDEN DANGERS'
The warning has been issued by TyreSafe in the UK, a not-for-profit road safety organisation. The team bought 10 part-worn tyres which were then inspected and found to be illegal, Worse, they had faults that made them fail with possibly catastrophic results.
Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: “The results of the latest investigation emphasise the hidden dangers of buying used tyres. A very clear set of regulations exists (in the UK) to control the legal sale of used tyres but, as we’ve seen, these are not being adhered to. Drivers are taking a huge gamble with their lives if they buy and fit them.”
It is not illegal for used tyres to be sold but they must have undergone a thorough inspection, been pressure-tested, have at least 2mm of tread and be permanently marked as worn tyres.
Dean Gray, trading standards investigator for Bristol City Council, said: “For the safety of consumers it is essential that the vendor follows legislation and checks for damage, illegal repairs and properly marks the tyre. A few simple checks could save lives.”
In the investigation, carried out by Bristol Trading Standards, none of the tyres checked met regulations. The results echo a similar investigation of 50 tyres carried out by TyreSafe in 2012 which found 98% were being sold illegally and with one described by the examiner as “having the potential to kill".
Hiow much worse must things be on the streets of Soweto and Mitchells Plain?
The same applies to those roadside outdoor stacks of used tyres in every town and city in South Africa - the dangers of using them are enormous, putting them on minibus taxis way more so.
'HIDDEN DANGERS'
The warning has been issued by TyreSafe in the UK, a not-for-profit road safety organisation. The team bought 10 part-worn tyres which were then inspected and found to be illegal, Worse, they had faults that made them fail with possibly catastrophic results.
Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: “The results of the latest investigation emphasise the hidden dangers of buying used tyres. A very clear set of regulations exists (in the UK) to control the legal sale of used tyres but, as we’ve seen, these are not being adhered to. Drivers are taking a huge gamble with their lives if they buy and fit them.”
It is not illegal for used tyres to be sold but they must have undergone a thorough inspection, been pressure-tested, have at least 2mm of tread and be permanently marked as worn tyres.
Dean Gray, trading standards investigator for Bristol City Council, said: “For the safety of consumers it is essential that the vendor follows legislation and checks for damage, illegal repairs and properly marks the tyre. A few simple checks could save lives.”
In the investigation, carried out by Bristol Trading Standards, none of the tyres checked met regulations. The results echo a similar investigation of 50 tyres carried out by TyreSafe in 2012 which found 98% were being sold illegally and with one described by the examiner as “having the potential to kill".
Hiow much worse must things be on the streets of Soweto and Mitchells Plain?
