Government bans old coach, bus and lorry tyres from roads in new measures to improve road safety

Wednesday, 15 July 2020 12:37

Tyres aged 10 years and older to be banned to help improve road safety Clearly visible date of manufacture mandatory on each tyre, ensuring older tyres are easy to spot Latest action follows years of work by Government and determined efforts of campaigners Tyres aged ten years and older will be banned from lorries, buses and coaches on roads in England, Scotland and...Request free trial

Tyres aged 10 years and older to be banned to help improve road safety
Clearly visible date of manufacture mandatory on each tyre, ensuring older tyres are easy to spot
Latest action follows years of work by Government and determined efforts of campaigners

Tyres aged ten years and older will be banned from lorries, buses and coaches on roads in England, Scotland and Wales in a boost to road safety, Roads Minister Baroness Vere announced today (Wednesday 15 July).

The ban follows an extensive investigation, including research commissioned by the Department for Transport, which indicated ageing tyres suffer corrosion which could cause them to fail.

The move will make it illegal to fit tyres aged ten years or older to the front wheels of lorries, buses and coaches, and all wheels of minibuses.

The secondary legislation will be laid in the autumn and will also apply to re-treaded tyres - with the date of re-treading to be marked – making the age of the tyre clearly visible.

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said:

“In the same way that you wouldn’t drive a car with faulty brakes, ensuring your tyres are fit for purpose is crucial in making every journey safer.

“Taking this step will give drivers across the country confidence their lorries, buses and coaches are truly fit for use – a safety boost for road users everywhere.

“This change is in no small way the result of years of campaigning, particularly from Frances Molloy, to whom I thank and pay tribute.”

Frances Molloy’s son Michael died in a coach crash, where the vehicle had a 19-year-old tyre fitted to the front axle of a coach in 2012. Since the accident, Mrs Molloy has campaigned to see the law changed.

Drivers, owners and operators are responsible for the safety of their vehicles –this will also now include ensuring their vehicle’s tyres meet the new requirements. The Government will also be asking DVSA to continue checking tyre age as part of their routine roadside enforcement activities, and adding an additional assessment to the Annual Test scheme (MOT test).

Today’s announcement is the latest step taken to improve road safety, following the launch last year of the Road Safety Statement and two-year action plan, which set out more than 70 measures to reduce the number of people killed or injured on roads around the country.

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Notes to editors

Tyres aged ten years and older will be banned from being fitted to the front wheels of lorries, buses and coaches and all tyres on minibuses when fitted in single configuration. Tyres fitted in twin configuration are not included since a failure of one tyre in a pair presents a lower risk of loss of directional control or stability.
Both new and re-tread tyres are already required to be marked with their date of manufacture which can be used to determine their age. The new requirement means the date marking must be maintained in a legible form.
Research commissioned by the Department for Transport associated corrosion of the steel components of a tyre and hardening of the rubber with the age of the tyre.
Traffic Commissioners will also be notified of repeated non-compliances by an operator which could be taken into account in any review of their Operator licence. The police service would also continue to enforce the rules in the usual way.