AYLESBURY, England — The United Kingdom's National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), citing a lack of enforcement on existing tire safety regulations, is calling for a complete ban on the sale of partly worn tires throughout the U.K.
The NTDA contends that unless "drastic action" is taken, the U.K. could see the casualty and death toll rise as a result of the increasing use of illegal and defective tires.
The NTDA has started a petition drive to call for the ban.
The association intends to deliver the petition to Greg Clark, member of Parliament for Royal Tunbridges Wells and secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Under the U.K.'s Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994 (reg.7.) it is an offense for anyone to sell part-worn tires that do not meet a litany of requirements, including: structural integrity intact; free of cuts, bulges or lumps; no plies/cords showing; minimum tread depth of at least 2 mm across the tread and around the circumference; and marked "Part Worn" on the sidewall.
Since December 2013, the NTDA has conducted joint inspections with Trading Standards officers at eight locations throughout the U.K. During those inspections, it was determined that roughly 98 percent of the thousands of partly worn tires inspected were found to be non-compliant with safety regulations.
The NTDA said many of the vendors identified in these investigations have been arrested and prosecuted and many more face enforcement actions.
Recognizing the tangible benefits of the inspection initiative, NTDA members are supporting this campaign by contributing $20 per outlet to keep it active. The NTDA also is urging manufacturers and other industry professionals to join in.