Ban on tyres over 10 years old to be enforced from February

Drivers and operators of commercial and public service vehicles are being reminded that tyres aged more than 10 years old fitted to the front-steered axles will be illegal from February 1, 2021.

The new legislation covers England, Scotland and Wales and applies to the front axle of a goods vehicle with a maximum gross weight exceeding 3,500kg, a bus, coach or minibus. It also applies to the rear axle of a minibus with single rear wheels fitted.

DVSA’s Chief Executive Gareth Llewellyn said: “This new landmark legislation will help to protect all road users against unsafe vehicles.

"Drivers, owners and operators are responsible for the safety of their vehicles, so we advise them to start checking the age of their tyres to ensure they’ll meet the new requirements.”

The Department for Transport announced the ban in July 2020 following a consultation and extensive investigations which indicate ageing tyres suffer corrosion which could cause them to fail.

DVSA will enforce the legislation at roadside enforcement checks where prohibitions will be used and through the vehicle annual test where affected tyres over 10 years old will become a dangerous test failure item.

MOT tyre requirements for private minibuses, buses and coaches – so those not used as public service vehicles – will also change and result in an MOT fail for affected tyres over 10 years old.

Frances Molloy was instrumental in the ban through years of tireless campaigning after her son Michael died in a coach crash in 2012 when the vehicle had a 19-year-old tyre fitted to the front axle.

Traffic Commissioners may also be notified of tyre maintenance issues involving an operator, which could be taken into account in a public inquiry.