Vehicle Tyres - 10 year limit ban

[Deleted]

The UK Government is set to introduce a 10 year age limit on tyres this autumn - for now its aimed solely at Buses, Mini Buses, Coaches & Commercial Vehicles - unsure has yet if this ruling includes all classic / historic vehicles that also fall into this category - it will be policed via the annual MOT test - i.e. should you present a vehicle for MOT with a tyre date stamp indicating that the tyre is above 10 years regardless of tread depth then this becomes a point of failure - along with the fact that if you are found running a vehicle with outdated tyres the penalties could be quite severe - it would also give insurance companies a perfect excuse to refuse a claim if it was found that the vehicle you were making claim for had outdated tyres fitted to it. Has it is it wont really effect vehicles in everyday use has the tyre will come to the end of its life through wear long before age - it will however effect owners / users of commercial vehicles that cover nominal mileages - Frankenhealey's 'Goddess Transporter' springs to mind here - its been proven that tyres degrade through age and not just wear hence the proposed ruling

www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/government-to-ban-old-tyres-on-buses-and-trucks-in-bid-to-up-safety/ar-BB175oQM?ocid=msedgntp

Now whilst it does not currently effect the humble classic / retro car user - I think in time it will - I could be wrong but I think the writing is clearly on the wall - and you will be amazed at the amount of classic / retro owners that think a 15 - 20 year old tyre with 4mm of tread left on it
(but cracked / aged sidewalls) is perfectly safe - personally I have always replaced my tyres at 10 year old regardless of tread depth

[Frankenhealey]

Jul 23, 2020 15:36:37 GMT @grumpynorthener said:

The UK Government is set to introduce a 10 year age limit on tyres this autumn - for now its aimed solely at Buses, Mini Buses, Coaches & Commercial Vehicles - unsure has yet if this ruling includes all classic / historic vehicles that also fall into this category - it will be policed via the annual MOT test - i.e. should you present a vehicle for MOT with a tyre date stamp indicating that the tyre is above 10 years regardless of tread depth then this becomes a point of failure - along with the fact that if you are found running a vehicle with outdated tyres the penalties could be quite severe - it would also give insurance companies a perfect excuse to refuse a claim if it was found that the vehicle you were making claim for had outdated tyres fitted to it. Has it is it wont really effect vehicles in everyday use has the tyre will come to the end of its life through wear long before age - it will however effect owners / users of commercial vehicles that cover nominal mileages - Frankenhealey's 'Goddess Transporter' springs to mind here - its been proven that tyres degrade through age and not just wear hence the proposed ruling

www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/government-to-ban-old-tyres-on-buses-and-trucks-in-bid-to-up-safety/ar-BB175oQM?ocid=msedgntp

Now whilst it does not currently effect the humble classic / retro car user - I think in time it will - I could be wrong but I think the writing is clearly on the wall - and you will be amazed at the amount of classic / retro owners that think a 15 - 20 year old tyre with 4mm of tread left on it
(but cracked / aged sidewalls) is perfectly safe - personally I have always replaced my tyres at 10 year old regardless of tread depth

We're all watching it like hawks. This will kill a lot of the classic commercial scene stone dead. It's either Chinese tyres for me at £1000 for five, Pirelli's come in at £2200 (discounted at the moment) or Michelins at £4-5k.

[duncanmartin]

This has come about after a huge amount of campaigning by parents who have had loved ones die in coach crashes caused by defective old tyres. www.tyred.org.uk/index
For vehicles that are carrying passengers it makes perfect sense - when was the last time you got on a bus and checked the tyres? It would be nice if there was some sort of exemption for classic vehicles (especially if they don't carry passengers), though I can understand how designing a law in that way would create loopholes through which unscrupulous operators could jump.

[timbo1956]

Jul 23, 2020 15:58:41 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Jul 23, 2020 15:36:37 GMT @grumpynorthener said:

The UK Government is set to introduce a 10 year age limit on tyres this autumn - for now its aimed solely at Buses, Mini Buses, Coaches & Commercial Vehicles - unsure has yet if this ruling includes all classic / historic vehicles that also fall into this category - it will be policed via the annual MOT test - i.e. should you present a vehicle for MOT with a tyre date stamp indicating that the tyre is above 10 years regardless of tread depth then this becomes a point of failure - along with the fact that if you are found running a vehicle with outdated tyres the penalties could be quite severe - it would also give insurance companies a perfect excuse to refuse a claim if it was found that the vehicle you were making claim for had outdated tyres fitted to it. Has it is it wont really effect vehicles in everyday use has the tyre will come to the end of its life through wear long before age - it will however effect owners / users of commercial vehicles that cover nominal mileages - Frankenhealey 's 'Goddess Transporter' springs to mind here - its been proven that tyres degrade through age and not just wear hence the proposed ruling

www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/government-to-ban-old-tyres-on-buses-and-trucks-in-bid-to-up-safety/ar-BB175oQM?ocid=msedgntp

Now whilst it does not currently effect the humble classic / retro car user - I think in time it will - I could be wrong but I think the writing is clearly on the wall - and you will be amazed at the amount of classic / retro owners that think a 15 - 20 year old tyre with 4mm of tread left on it
(but cracked / aged sidewalls) is perfectly safe - personally I have always replaced my tyres at 10 year old regardless of tread depth

We're all watching it like hawks. This will kill a lot of the classic commercial scene stone dead. It's either Chinese tyres for me at £1000 for five, Pirelli's come in at £2200 (discounted at the moment) or Michelins at £4-5k.

How much are remoulds?

[rapidyellow]

what tyre laws existing in other countries similar to this?

dead right that commercial vehicles should have age dated tyres, completely agree given the weight [and people] they carry.


we will just have to wait and see what comes

[Dez]

Jul 23, 2020 17:42:41 GMT rapidyellow said:

what tyre laws existing in other countries similar to this?

dead right that commercial vehicles should have age dated tyres, completely agree given the weight [and people] they carry.


we will just have to wait and see what comes

I believe Germany and Belgium have tyre date laws. As I understand it it’s where a lot of UK partworns come from as it’s not legal to sell them in Germany once they’ve been demounted or something.

[nickwheeler]

Jul 23, 2020 17:42:41 GMT rapidyellow said:

what tyre laws existing in other countries similar to this?

dead right that commercial vehicles should have age dated tyres, completely agree given the weight [and people] they carry.


we will just have to wait and see what comes

There are LOTS of cars running on legal, but ancient tyres. They're usually owned by people who only ever spend money on maintenance when forced to by an MOT failure. A 10 year age limit would be a good thing.
And that's without considering trailer tyres!

[Spudgun]

I think its a good thing.
Just because a tyre may look ok on the outside it may well have degraded to the point of being dangerous without actually being visible.
Perfect example my SD1 has 10 year old Goodyears on with virtually unused tread but I absolutely will not use them for the road only for keeping the car roll-able during the work I am doing and eventually once roadworthy it will get a new set of boots all round.
The rubber had definitely hardened to a degree and has a few very small cracks which are just not worth the risk.

It may cause a lot of cost to some people unfortunately but in this case I agree with it.

[rapidyellow]

Jul 23, 2020 18:04:33 GMT Dez said:

As I understand it it’s where a lot of UK partworns come from as it’s not legal to sell them in Germany once they’ve been demounted or something.

I always wondered why there was so many part worns over here. and that is the answer.

[drseg]

remember my first car mk 2 cortina blew engine up bought a 1600 gt except it wasnt mental thing for a 17 year old and i used to wheelspin and wear out tyres insanely quickly. bought a pair of wheels from scrappy with michelin x tyres on so hard they might as well have been stone when they span just made a buzz noise and didnt smoke or wear they were that hard but had legal tread they went back on every time i wore the rears out till I could afford some new ones and i had to slow down as they had limited grip, thing is they were ancient but didnt have cracks is that a new designed in thing so tyres do fall apart?

[mrbounce]

The tyres I took off the Midas wheels when I got it had a lot of tread but the overall condition was dreadful. The youngest was 14 years old and the eldest apparently 22. Still "legal". Terrifying to think some people drive on rubber like those.

I always buy the best I can afford on my dailies, and I can't see me doing anything different with the Midas. What worries me is I have a friend who penny-pinches to the point of dangerous, usually with suspension or tyres. What does he do for a living? He's in the motor trade...

[astranaut]

New budget tyres are like that, i had a pair on my Astra that could be down to 5psi and look inflated, just like wheelie bin wheels.

[Mercdan68]

A few years ago I did my cpc training with a classroom full of people from different transport backgrounds
We had a fella with plenty to say for himself
And he bluntly told the trainer he couldn’t care less and would keep buying second hand tyres for his tipper lorries
A couple of us had a coffee with the trainer after one segment and he confirmed our thoughts , moron !!

[Frankenhealey]

Jul 23, 2020 17:32:28 GMT timbo1956 said:

How much are remoulds?

Not sure remoulds are available. Mine aren't modern truck tyres but a size Bedford were using from WW2 until the 60's.

[carat 3.6]

Jul 23, 2020 21:10:24 GMT Mercdan68 said:

A few years ago I did my cpc training with a classroom full of people from different transport backgrounds
We had a fella with plenty to say for himself
And he bluntly told the trainer he couldn’t care less and would keep buying second hand tyres for his tipper lorries
A couple of us had a coffee with the trainer after one segment and he confirmed our thoughts , moron !!

Yes and no. If he's doing site work with them then I would do the same, drive axle tires on some of the tippers I deal with have a service life of 1-2 month's.

[Mercdan68]

Not when your thundering around London and the local counties on them , it’s wrong and the fella argued it for ages
Whilst we couldn’t believe his attitude to other road users safety

[vitesseefi]

I would have trouble arguing against. Cars should probably be included.

Bought a set of 5 wheels recently. They came with "good" tyres. They did indeed look good. Plenty of tread, no sign of perishing. However, the youngest, which has never seen the road, 10 years old, three of them were 22 and the other 16. I've replaced them.

The last set of tyres (Semperit IIRC) on my Vitesse I replaced because they they became plain scary in the wet. About 10 years old but only 1/2 - 2/3 worn. Not visibly degraded or cracked.

Interestingly enough, when we bought Senior Managements Audi TT 3 years ago it came with a set of Continental tyres which had plenty of tread. However, they were horribly cracked and perished, one being especially bad with deep cracks in the main circumferential sipes. I did check the dates and they were all about 6 years old. Hardly ancient. 3 had the same date stamp but the 4th, the worst, was 6 months younger.

I replaced them with a set of Dunlops. She's worn two of them out but the ones that started on the back (and are now on the front) are starting to crack up after just three years. They don't make 'em like they used to!

Having also experienced some not very old at all tyres that came on my A8 (Triangle - just avoid!!), that were just plain lethal, perhaps some more attention should be given to weeding out the awful ditchfinders that are curse word from day one.....

Nick

[carat 3.6]

It's worse in London as the trucks are used 24/7.

The problem is not the age or the tread, Vosa/Dvsa love to pull them up for "deep cuts". Not alot you can do about that on a site truck even if the tire is 1 day old or 1 year old, hence second hand tires or remolds.

Ask yourself the question: Knowing it's only going to last a month, would you fit a brand new tire to it or used one?

Wrong as it maybe, that is the reality. And until Vosa/Dvsa stop being petty it will continue.

I do however agree that there should be a age limit on ALL tires.

[brc76]

Not to go off topic, but tires are one of those things for me. There is not much between you and the road, should be something you can trust.

My sister had a reasonably new honda odyssey, they came up to needing its first set of tires and they got the cheapest off-brand things they could. It was terrible. The ABS would come in if you looked at the brake pedal. Wheelspin from standstill all day long. But totally legit from the standpoint of new legal tires

On the other side of that, the Michelins on my merc are very old. No cracking sidewall, but probably worth replacing as I just don't know what is going on under the surface.

From the point of us enthusiasts, we make informed choices. From the general public who don't look at it the same, I totally think a age limit is a good idea.

[60six]

Jul 23, 2020 22:25:20 GMT brc76 said:

Not to go off topic, but tires are one of those things for me. There is not much between you and the road, should be something you can trust.

My sister had a reasonably new honda odyssey, they came up to needing its first set of tires and they got the cheapest off-brand things they could. It was terrible. The ABS would come in if you looked at the brake pedal. Wheelspin from standstill all day long. But totally legit from the standpoint of new legal tires

On the other side of that, the Michelins on my merc are very old. No cracking sidewall, but probably worth replacing as I just don't know what is going on under the surface.

From the point of us enthusiasts, we make informed choices. From the general public who don't look at it the same, I totally think a age limit is a good idea.

superb idea - although I did once buy a low mileage rusty 68 beetle and it's michelin XZX's were in such good condition, i was able to sell them for the purchase price of the car.