Four garages found selling illegal and dangerous part-worn tyres, Nearly all (97 per cent) of the part-worn tyres were found to have defects
Motorists are still being duped into buying dangerous and illegal tyres. Image: Bigstock.
Trading standards officers have found a number of garages across the East Riding of Yorkshire to be selling dangerous part-worn tyres to the public.
Investigators from East Riding Council visited four garages selling part-worn tyres in Bridlington, Beverley and Market Weighton.
After officers seized two tyres from one garage, an examination revealed they were unsafe for sale and had become degraded due to how old they were.
Unsafe, serious defects
Both tyres were discovered to have exposed cords which could have resulted in immediate catastrophic failure had they been fitted to a vehicle.
One of the tyres was also believed to be around 28-years-old.
Following a Yorkshire and Humber-wide survey, organised by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, 97 per cent of all part worn tyres examined were found to have some type of defect, with 45 per cent found to have defects so serious they were condemned immediately as unsafe.
Catastrophic consequences
Colin Briggs, trading standards manager at East Riding Council, said: “As tyres are the only part of a car that is in contact with the road surface, their integrity and roadworthiness is of the utmost importance.
“Any faults of defects could have catastrophic consequences, such as the driver losing control of the vehicle, not only risking their life, but the lives of any passengers in the car as well as other road users.
Consumers being put at risk
“Our investigations, together with those from around the Yorkshire and Humber region, should act as a stark reminder to anyone thinking about buying second-hand tyres.
“The findings suggest some sectors of the trade have developed bad practices which could be putting customers at risk.
“Consumers may feel that they can get a bargain by buying second-hand tyres, or some consumers may not have any other choice, but irrespective of that, they have the right to demand the products they buy are safe and legal.”