According to the Department for Transport, defective or illegal tyres caused 3449 accidents in the UK in 2019. These were accidents where the cause was solely down to the condition of the tyres. A survey compiled by Halfords Tyres Newport, the motoring superstore, of 2000 people also showed that 65% of drivers did not know that the punishment for having an illegal tyre on your vehicle was 3 points and up to £2500 per tyre and that nearly half did not know how to check their tyre pressure during preventative maintenance. It’s no doubt therefore that should some, less than ethical, garages supply you with tyres that look fine that the majority of the British public would not know what to look for and happily drive away with a tyre that may not be legal.
Don’t take the risk and source your tyres responsibly. Speak to our experts to find out more about our tyres in Newport.
Tyres can literally be the difference between life and death on the road so always choose your tyres from a respected and authorised tyre dealer in Newport to ensure that you are getting the safest set of new tyres put on your vehicle.
The latest Government figures show there were 17 people killed and 719 road casualties, nearly two a day, in reported accidents in the UK in 2017 where illegal, defective, or under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor.
The Dangers of Second Hand Tyres
According to a top local council in the South-West motorists could be putting their lives at risk by buying dangerous second-hand tyres, with nearly half of used tyres in some areas being sold illegally. Part-worn tyres are being sold with serious safety defects and dodgy repairs. Some used tyres sold were found to be at least 25 years old, according to the local councils that have started to get tough on irresponsible tyre businesses breaking the law without consequence. Don’t think that it won’t happen to you is the message and further backs up the need to only buy your tyres from a trusted and respected local tyre dealer in Newport.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, is telling motorists buying second-hand tyres to check they are in good condition and bear the required ‘part-worn tyre marking. The stamp lets drivers know that the tyre has been checked and meets legal requirements. However, buying used tyres just doesn’t sit right and with an authorised tyre dealer you can, in fact, get budget new tyres at very nearly the same cost, I know which I would choose that’s for sure.
Anyone who suspects that part-worn or illegal tyres are being sold and do not comply with legislation should contact their local council’s Trading Standards via Citizens Advice on 03454 040506.
The Risks Are Real & Can Put You and Others at Risk
If you have ever had a tyre blow out at speed, then you will know all too well the heart-stopping feeling when you lose control of your vehicle and the overwhelming joy if you manage to control it to a stop. It’s so important that you learn how to perform tyre maintenance yourself by knowing the correct inflation levels, being aware of the legal tread limits and how to measure them. By the way, if you do not have the correct tool to measure the tyre tread depth just use a twenty pence piece, the outer section is 2mm wide and can be used to check if your tyre tread is under that measurement. Although the legal limit per tyre is 1.6mm most reliable and trusted tyre dealers in Newport will suggest that anything under 2mm in the tread on a tyre should be changed for a new one.
Having the right tyres fitted to your car is equally as important as the condition of the tyre. In wet conditions if you do not have enough tread on your tyre then you can experience what’s called aquaplaning, this is when your tyres lose traction with the road surface and instead sit on top of the water as the tread is not deep enough to disperse the water from underneath the tyre. This sensation is very alarming for the driver as you feel like you have no control over the direction you are travelling, and braking would not help in the slightest as you are not in contact with the road. It’s another reason that you should replace your tyres before you get to the minimum legal limit of 1.6mm and that reputable tyre dealers recommend changing to new tyres at 2.0 mm.
Ensure that You & Your Family are Safe on the Road
It’s not only you of course you put in danger when you choose to drive your car with defective or illegal tyres. Who, in their right mind, would put their family at risk of severe accidents that could kill or seriously injure your or your wife or children and not to mention other road users? Even by not knowing how to measure your tyre tread or not knowing how to change your wheel for a spare or being unaware of the legal limit of tread is as reckless as driving on an illegal tyre in our opinion so if you are in the 65% of people who would struggle with any of the above then we would suggest that before you drive again you familiarize yourself with the processes above.
This is taken from the breakdown recovery company Green Flag’s website and shows how big the problem is, just in case you don’t believe us.
“If your car needs new tyres, you might be shocked at how much replacement rubber can cost. But while often cheaper than new, buying second-hand tyres can have serious safety implications. New research has found that nine out of 10 retailers selling used or part-worn tyres are trading in illegal rubber.
Charity Tyre Safe and Trading Standards have spent the past five years investigating part-worn tyres on sale in the UK. They discovered that just 13 of the 152 dealers they visited were selling roadworthy tyres. Tyre Safe chairman Stuart Jackson said: “As far as we’re aware there is no other retail sector with such an atrocious track record.”
We hope that reading this article has made you aware of the pitfalls of buying tyres from a less than reputable tyre dealer in Newport and the rest of the country for that matter so make sure that you maintain your tyres correctly yourself and always use a trusted and recommended tyre dealer. If you are looking for high-quality tyres in Cwmbran – get in touch with a member of our team/