Aged Tyres? What's it all about?

You may have heard the name Frances Molloy in the press recently? It's not a name synonymous with tyre safety historically. Sadly she'x only become a serious campaigner due to the loss of her son after a bus crash. The results of the crash investigation laid blame solely on the catastrophic blow-out of one of the vehicles tyres. 

At present, there is no legislation in place to prevent the use of aged tyres on any vehicle and yet the risks to us all are massive. Let's explain...

For most people, a tyre is just a thing that has to be fitted in order to use a vehicle. There's not a great deal of thought placed on the huge role it plays in the prevention of an early termination to your life each and every time you drive, or are driven in a vehicle. In fact, while our government (one of very few left in Europe) actually allows the sale of used tyres to unsuspecting motorists and fails to monitor the conditions of these sales at all, it's almost easy to understand why so many people are completely complacent in their thinking about tyre safety. If the government appears to think that there's no issue in allowing unscrupulous traders to sell dangerous scrap as 'part worn' then why should we worry?

Well worry we should. You see a tyre is made from predominantly rubber - a natural product. Throw in a whole host of other materials as well of course but mostly rubber. Like any natural product (ourselves included) rubber ages from minute one. From soft and elastic it becomes harder and more brittle with age. Add the elements of weathering, road abuse and forces of acceleration and that tyres working lwindow rapdily diminishes with every year.

Back to Mrs Molloy's son. The bus he was travelling had tyres on it that were over ten years old. One reached the point of no return and let go. He died as a result. This should not have happened and could have easily been avoided.

Every tyre is marked with a date code. A four digit number that denotes the week and year of manufacture. Mrs Mooloy is campaigning hard for new rules to be introduced to prevent the use of tyres over ten years of age - and we fully support her.

Every year we fit thousands of caravan tyres up and down the UK. Owners of these vehicles change their tyres at 5 years of age. WE can honestly say that we've never replaced a worn out caravan tyre. In fact sometimes they look like new! 

We've not been guided from above about the importance of tyre safety - so naturally, most of us disregard it - until it's too late.

#oldtyreskill

The TYRED campaign is gathering momentum and should this be recognised and passed, we can only hope that tyre saftey finally gets the recognition it has deserved for so long.

Hometyre Group