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Press Release relating to the sale of part worn tyres.

I have read with great interest various articles from “Tyre Safe” on the “dangers” of purchasing and fitting part worn tyres.

As the Secretary General of the British Vehicle Salvage Federation a large number of BVSF members do indeed sell part worn tyres, correctly checked and marked as they should be. It is totally wrong that “Tyresafe” are effectively “tarring with the same brush” a legitimate sale of components by bona fide salvage buyers with those that are simply avoiding the law for profit with no thought for the consequences.

Tyresafe clearly advise that “98% of part worn tyres are sold illegally and this 98% relates to the failure to mark the tyre as part worn rather than its ability to operate correctly, lets be honest here, every vehicle on the road today is running on a part worn tyre, it becomes part worn the moment the wheel rotates on the road for the first time.

BVSF members sell tyres from natural end of life vehicles caused by structural corrosion, expensive engine repairs etc etc and of course accident damaged vehicles written off by the Insurers that in most cases have perfectly good tyres on them (The members only sell tyres that have been checked, marked and have at least 4 mm of tread remaining) and as the salvage and recycling industry is targeted by government to re-use and recycle it makes perfect sense to check, mark and re-sell these tyres. Indeed when the BVSF approached a senior official in the British Transport Police he confirmed that he would far prefer to purchase correctly tested high quality part worn tyres than new low quality tyres.

I agree that we must protect the public from both themselves having little or no knowledge of potential tyre issues and also from rogue companies that capitalise on this lack of knowledge.

However, I don’t agree with the simple statement after examining a few tyres to “read about the proven dangers etc etc” as this is simply scaremongering and damaging to a legitimate industry.

I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the public at large that members of the British Vehicle Salvage Federation do indeed act correctly and are not the rogues described in the press release by “Tyresafe”. It is confirmed that part worn tyres are available from BVSF members at low cost, having been correctly examined, tested and marked and are perfectly capable of the same use as a new tyre costing vastly more money.