The Dangers of Part Worn Tyres

Many motorists are attracted to buying part worn tyres because they offer a lower initial cost than buying new tyres, however, the dangers of using part worn tyres far outweigh any savings!

 

A False Economy

Part worn tyres may seem significantly cheaper than new tyres, but in the long run they may be the pricier option. Sold with significantly less tyre tread, part worn tyres will need to be replaced sooner than new tyres.

A new tyre will have a tread depth between 7mm to 8mm whereas a part worn tyre can legally have as little as 2mm of tread left. This means that part worn tyres often work out as more expensive per millimetre of usable tread.

 

Part Safe Tyres

The lower tread depth found on part worn tyres can also have an impact upon your safety on the road. Tyre tread impacts gripping capabilities, braking distances and resistance to aquaplaning and when tread drops below 3mm this is negatively impacted.

A part worn tyre is second hand and is not required to come with a history, so you will not know if the tyre has been damaged, repaired or driven on the wrong tyre pressures.

In addition, part worn tyres are not examined by x-ray so there could be internal damage which affects the structural integrity of the tyre. This could lead to further damage or even a tyre blowout on the road, posing a huge risk to your safety and the safety of your passengers.

 

Legal Requirements

Government regulations require that part worn tyres must have at least 2mm of tread across the full breadth and whole circumference of the tyre, be of sound structure and bear the relevant markings to indicate that they are part worn.

Unfortunately, these regulations are not always abided by. TyreSafe found that 98% of part worn tyres are sold illegally and 34% of part worn tyres were sold with damage or defects.

During their investigation, TyreSafe discovered that some part worn tyres being sold had signs of damage including cracking, bulges and objects such as nails lodged in the tyre.

 

Here at PTA Garage Service we advise against buying part worn tyres due to the huge safety risks they pose.

For further advice contact your local PTA Garage Services branch.