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A planned new EU labelling system for tyres is not worth the paper it’s printed on, says the boss of one major manufacturer.
Continental UK managing director David Smith says the regulations due to be introduced across Europe within two years will make manufacturers certify their tyres meet specific tests. But he says the system needs independent testing and enforcement.
Road users’ lives are at risk because a quarter of new tyres legally sold in the UK do not meet the most stringent safety tests, he said.
“Budget brand tyres imported from Far East and Russian manufacturers do not perform in the wet as well as the majority of European brands and are sometimes considerably worse", said David Smith.
“The problem is these will be self-certification labels and the manufacturers can say what they like on them because the tyres are not going to be independently checked. As an industry in Europe we are very concerned about this new labelling scheme and if it is to mean anything it must be backed up by independent verification and enforcement."
The UK currently turns over about 32 million new tyres a year, with approximately 8 million coming from the Far East and Russia.
Mr Smith said, “Tyres are generally a distress purchase and people have been conditioned into buying the cheapest because as an industry we haven’t helped ourselves by first offering customers a cheap tyre and then the option of a more expensive better performance tyre.
"Suppliers should be offering a premium tyre first and explaining its benefits before turning to the less capable tyres."
With cars having longer service intervals and the decline of DIY motoring tyre checks are becoming less frequent and potentially minor problems which can be quickly rectified are becoming much more serious and leading to expensive tyre failures.
Mr Smith added, “Mis-aligned suspension, under-inflated tyres and damage caused by potholes or riding over kerbs are the major sources of premature tyre wear and failure and they are avoidable."
It is known that about 3.5 million motorists in the UK are driving on illegal tyres with a tenth of cars having tyres below the legal minimum tread depth of 1.6mm in a continuous band throughout the central three-quarters of the tread width and the whole of the circumference.
Using an illegal tyre carries a maximum £2,500 fine and three penalty points per tyre.