Lincolnshire part-worn tyre traders checked

Lincolnshire Trading Standards has been visiting part worn tyre traders across the county to ensure they are selling road-legal tyres.

As part of Tyre Safety Month, which reminds road-users to check their tyres at least once a month, officers from Lincolnshire County Council and the Environment Agency have been working together to check retailers have robust inspection procedures in place and that they are selling safe and road-worthy tyres.

17 garages were visited and checked to ensure they had the right processes in place to ensure the tyres that they supply are safe and legal to be sold to the public.

This included: where the tyres were sourced from and disposed of, how the garage assessed the safety of its tyres, the training given to its staff and the physical examination of tyres.

Whilst the majority of retailers passed the inspections there were a small number of non-compliances found and illegal tyres removed from sale. In these instances the retailers were given a written warning and comprehensive advice. All businesses that failed will be re-inspected and formal action may be taken if further safety concerns are discovered.

Dan Brown, senior trading standards officer, commented: “With the winter coming, many people now start to change their tyres. It is therefore imperative that any part worn tyre supplied is safe and legal. As a customer, this is the very least that you would expect and the consequences can be life threatening if illegal tyres find their way into circulation.

“We’re supporting TyreSafe’s campaign, reminding residents to check their tyres regularly. If they are replacing their old ones with part-worn tyres, please remember that legally they must not have:

•                any cut over 25mm or 10% of the section width of the tyre (whichever is the greater) on the outside of the tyre, deep enough to reach the ply or cord

•                any internal or external lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure

•                any ply or cord exposed internally or externally

•                any penetration damage that has not been repaired

•                the tread depth of the tyre must be at least 2mm deep across the full breadth of the tread and around the entire outer circumference of the tyre.

For more information on the work Lincolnshire Trading Standards carries out, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards.