Illegal Tyre Convictions And Consequences
England and Wales have seen court convictions hit record numbers for illegal tyres. The statistics from the Home Office and Ministry of Justice show that around ten thousand people were successfully convicted in 2010. This is a ten percent rise on the previous year. The financial market was the reason most of the defendants used. Driving on illegal tyres to save costs and trying to get that extra couple of thousand miles from the tyres. Even after receiving advice on MOTs of amber tyres (tyres in need of replacement) people have still refused to change these tyres. These figures really show how bad the problem of illegal tyre usage has become in the UK and the numbers do not even count the tyre-related issues dealt with by the police at the roadside. With the police using discretion they could let them go if the tyre was border line, providing they change the tyre straight away. Surely even purchasing cheap tyres would be better than driving on illegal tyres and facing the consequences. An illegal tyre carries a maximum fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points on the driver of the vehicles licence, and that’s per tyre.
The UK tyre law states that a car driven on the road must have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, around its entire circumference.
Tyres also need to be checked for damage. Splits, cuts or cracks in the side wall can cause serious problems. Blowouts can be caused be any of these, however the most common reason for a tyre to blow is tyre pressure. If a tyre is under inflated it will bounce along the road, especially when the vehicle is traveling at speed. This bouncing causes friction and the friction creates heat. When the tyre reaches a temperature that it can’t cope with it can burst. In rare circumstances it could even burst into flames.
A specialist crash investigator recently said how many of the accidents he had worked on were due to defective or illegal car tyres. It was surprising to hear how many of the accidents are tyre related. In fact he listed illegal tyres as one of the first checks he did when investigating a crash. Obviously the crash investigator has to work out what happened, and more importantly who was responsible for the cause of the accident. This can prove difficult when the vehicle is in pieces due to the crash. Sometimes crash investigators have to attend court to give their evidence as to what happened. It is not an easy job but it sure sounds a fascinating one!
Buy cheap car tyres online from the UK’s friendliest tyre company!
At Grippy, we believe that saving money on tyres shouldn’t mean sacrificing on quality. We believe in good old-fashioned tyre service, which means a fast, efficient response, high-quality tyres and an easy-to-use booking system. Rely on Grippy to provide the best prices for UK tyres online and keep you on the road.
