TyreSafe webinar inspires part-worn crackdown

Trading Standards Officers in the UK are set to step up their efforts to investigate the sale of illegal and dangerous part worn tyres following a webinar on the subject hosted by TyreSafe.

The online event attracted more than 80 participants from around the country who were given an insight into the scale of the part-worn problem along with a wealth of advice and technical tips about how they can conduct investigations at a local level.

“We’ve been leading the way in campaigning about the safety risks posed by the sale of part-worn tyres so it’s fantastic to see that we have caught the attention of so many Trading Standards Officers,” explained Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “There was a real appreciation from many attendees that they have a problem locally with part worn tyres but until now, they’ve not really been sure how to tackle this effectively. The webinar acted as a great way for us to provide some ideas and assistance which we hope will see a significant improvement in the standards of part worn tyres being sold.”

The webinar was the latest initiative from TyreSafe to address and highlight the potential safety risks for consumers when buying part worn tyres. The organisation recently conducted its own mystery shopper investigation where it bought 50 part won tyres and found 98 percent had been sold illegally and more worryingly, more than third were found to be dangerous. One tyre was even described by the independent examiner as having “the potential to kill.”

Tyre safety remains a major road safety concern in the UK. The latest figures available from the Department For Transport show that in 2011, more than 1,100 road casualties resulted from accidents where an illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor. Furthermore, Ministry of Justice figures show that there were more than 9,600 prosecutions in Magistrates courts in England and Wales in 2011 for driving on defective tyres.

“We’re looking forward to helping as many Trading Standards Officers around the country carry out local investigations and initiatives,” continues Jackson. “We have a range of support and education materials freely available, so anyone who was unable to attend the webinar can still benefit from our expertise.”

Trading standards officers keen to receive materials, find out more about part worn tyres or to arrange local assistance can contact TyreSafe on 0845 3016852 or visit www.tyresafe.org.