Part Worn Facts!
In a tough economic climate every penny counts and some drivers are turning to part-worn tyres as a way to economise on their motoring costs. However, as independent research has revealed, in a sample of part-worn tyres the figures don’t always stack up.
Second hand clothes may ooze a certain retro charm, second hand tyres certainly do not. With a set of 4 new tyres sometimes costing as much as €1000, it’s hardly surprising that Irish motorists might consider buying second hand. Surely with thousands of second hand tyres being sold in Ireland, they must be a bargain? Apparently not.
TyreSafe’s recent investigation into the sale and condition of these part worn tyres in the UK were horrified by what they found. The standard of these tyres were lethal. In some cases they were an accident waiting to happen. Tyres were found to have been sold with rusty nails inside, others sold with internal damage and more sold with poor patches. “In many cases these tyres look great, they have loads of tread and you could be fooled into thinking they’re a bargain. But when you buy them, you inherit their dodgy history – every time they ran up a kerb, every accident, every time the owner drove them under inflated” says Ted Foreman, the independent tyre expert. Most motorists don’t get a chance to inspect a part worn tyre before it’s fitted. Tyres are complex engineered products so it is not just their outer visual condition that affects road safety. A tyre is a high tech piece of equipment consisting of over 30 components which must all be in good condition to ensure safety. As part worn tyres are not required to be examined by x-ray for internal structural defects before their sale it can be impossible to determine if any internal damage exists and that the safety of the tyre has been damaged.
Part Worn Economics
False Economy
- Average cost of Part Worn Tyre = €7.30 (of useable thread)
- Average cost of New Tyre = €6.12(of useable thread)