Tyres more than 20 years old discovered in Wolverhampton checks
Tyres more than 20 years old have been found through an inspection of businesses in Wolverhampton carried out to ensure the items are road legal.
Wolverhampton Council's trading standards joined with the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency as part of the crackdown which saw 1,650 tyres checked.
They were inspected across 16 businesses and a number of issues found around the age of the items – some of which were aged up to 21 years old.
John Roseblade, director of city environment at Wolverhampton Council, said: "Tyres are the only part of the vehicle in contact with the road surface, so they play a vital role in keeping you safe while driving.
"However, they can be expensive and it is understandable that people may consider buying part-worn tyres to keep cost down. But unsafe part-worn tyres are a serious danger to all road users and are not worth the savings if they end up costing you your health or damaging your vehicle.
"This investigation by our Trading Standards team has been extremely valuable and we will continue to work with part-worn tyre sellers in our area to ensure they are aware of the legislation to prevent the sale of unsafe tyres."
Officers looked at tread depth, year markings, general condition of the tyres and whether they were stamped with the words "part worn". Businesses were asked how they check the tyres they purchase and who they are supplied by.
The inspectors found that most businesses were not marking their tyres part- worn, which is a legal requirement to inform customers and potential future owners. Some of the tyres were old and showed signs of deterioration and business selling the items were given advisory warnings.
It is legal to buy part-worn tyres, but motorists need to be confident the tyres being offered are both safe and suitable for the intended vehicle.
Trading standards chiefs have urged people to check tyres carefully, with tyres deteriorating with age through exposure to heat, sunlight, chemicals, salt and incorrect storage.
The age of the tyre is required to be marked on a tyre at the point of manufacture. The age marking is a four-digit code: the first two figures represent the calendar week in which it was made (from 1 to 52) and the second two figures are the year of manufacture. Therefore, a code of 1320 would mean the tyre was made between March 28 and April 3, 2020.
For a part-worn tyre to be legally sold, it must have a minimum tread depth of two millimetre all round, be free of large cuts and bulge and not have any plies or cord exposed. Tyres should also be permanently marked as "part-worn" in lettering four millimetre high and have passed an inflation test prior to sale.
Adequate tread depth is essential for safe driving on wet roads as the tread grooves help to remove water from the contact patch between the tyre and the road surface, which is essential for effective acceleration, cornering and braking.
The National Tyres Distribution Association recommends tyres over 10-years-old fitted to vehicles are checked for damage, wear and other signs of old age. Checks can be carried out sooner than this.
