The government announced on Wednesday 15th July 2020 that tyres that are 10 years or older on lorries, buses and coaches will be banned from roads in England in an attempt to improve road safety. The ban comes from an investigation that indicates that ageing tyres could fail because they are more liable to corrosion.
This scheme will make fitting tyres that are aged 10 years or older to the front wheels of lorries, buses and coaches, as well as all wheels on minibuses illegal. There will also be a secondary legislation in Autumn which will apply to re-treaded tyres, with the date of re-treading to be marked which will make the age of the tyre more clearly visible.
Road Minister Baroness Vere said:
“Taking this step will give drivers across the country confidence their lorries, buses and coaches are truly fit for use.”
The safety of a vehicle is the responsibility of the drivers, owners and operators, which now includes making sure the tyres meet the new requirements. The DVSA has also been asked to continue to check tyre age as part of their routine roadside enforcement activities and adding additional testing to the annual test scheme (MOT test).
This announcement is part of the Road Safety Statement and 2-year action plan which has set out more than 70 measures to reduce the number of people who are killed or injured on roads across the country.
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