Tyre safety organisations have warned dealers of the dangers of selling incorrectly labelled tyres, with eight traders already convicted in London.
National Tyre Distributors Association and TyreSafe have reminded car dealers and garages that they face prosecution if their tyres are beneath the legal two-millimetre limit. It comes after six dealers were fined and a further two were convicted in North London having been found guilty of failing to mark part-worn tyres correctly and selling substandard tyres.
Car dealers must always ensure that their stock - both vehicles and spare parts - meet the necessary standards and are also duly protected from accidental and malicious damage, as well as theft. A diligent checking process will help with the former, while a combined motor trade insurance policy will provide cover for the assets.
October is tyre safety month, which makes these convictions a timely reminder that motor traders must operate within the law. New tyres typically have eight millimetres of tread, while a part worn need only have two millimetres to be legal for sale, just 0.4 millimetres before it reaches the minimum legal depth of 1.6 millimetre.
Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe chairman, commented: "TyreSafe and its supporters are committed to encouraging motorists to ensure their tyres are safe, so it is extremely disappointing when retailers – who are in a position of trust - are found guilty of supplying dangerous and defective tyres.
"The number of convictions of unscrupulous part worn dealers should cast doubt in the minds of Britain’s motorists on whether the product they are buying in good faith is safe to use at all. TyreSafe research has shown all too often these tyres are not safe and, even when they are, they do not represent good value for money."
