A joint operational exercise conducted by Dudley Council Trading Standards and road safety charity TyreSafe has uncovered systemic non-compliance among part-worn tyre retailers, with every single business inspected failing basic safety and legal standards.
Supported by West Midlands Police, officers and technical experts conducted unannounced safety audits across local retailers following preliminary advisory visits. Despite traders previously receiving guidance on statutory requirements, inspections revealed a 100% failure rate across the board.
Key violations identified during the exercise included illegal and dangerous string repairs, non-repairable punctures in sidewalls and shoulders, missing or temporary “PART-WORN” markings, incorrect pressure testing, severely aged and hardened rubber, and tyres with tread depth below the legal minimum limit.
Under the Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994, part-worn tyres must undergo thorough pre-sale inflation testing, possess a minimum 2.0mm tread depth, be structurally sound, and feature a permanent uppercase “PART-WORN” stamp.
Laura Reuben, Public Protection Manager at Dudley Council, said:
“The findings of this operation are deeply concerning. Consumers purchasing part-worn tyres often assume they are buying a safe, legal alternative to pass an MOT or save money, but our joint checks show a widespread disregard for basic safety laws. Educational visits alone have proven insufficient, and we will not hesitate to use our formal enforcement powers to protect motorists from dangerous stock.”
Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, added:
“This operation with Dudley Trading Standards exposes a stark reality: 100% non-compliance among the retailers audited, even after receiving compliance advice. Dangerous tyres on the road pose an immediate threat to driver and pedestrian safety. We urge local authorities across the UK to follow Dudley’s lead and integrate targeted, unannounced part-worn checks into their enforcement schedules.”
Following the inspections, traders were issued with individual Trader Notices providing feedback on the visit. These outlined specific areas of concern and highlighted compliance where appropriate, while providing clear operational guidance to help businesses meet their legal obligations.
TyreSafe and Dudley Trading Standards are using the case study to encourage other UK local authorities to prioritise joint part-worn tyre enforcement to eliminate illegal stock from the consumer market.
For more information on part-worn tyre regulations or to read the full case study, visit www.tyresafe.org/resources/tyre-safety-case-studies/
