Trading Standards inspections reveal safety issues at motoring businesses

Norfolk Trading Standards are asking motorists to remain vigilant around vehicle purchasing, after recent inspections found that one in three part-worn tyres checked were found to be dangerous and 50% of second-hand cars inspected when offered for sale were found to be unroadworthy.

The results came from visits from Norfolk County Council's Trading Standards officers and the Norfolk & Suffolk Constabulary's Roads Armed Policing Team (RAPT) to businesses across the county in two separate operations in the last few weeks.

Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, Cabinet member for Partnerships at Norfolk County Council, said: "Safety should be the number one priority for all of us when buying a vehicle or car parts and operations like these are a reminder to all motorists in our county to check what you're buying before you pay for it.

"Our Trading Standards teams are doing great work alongside our colleagues in the police to visit businesses and make sure they are taking responsibility for what they are selling, and I hope that this prompts motoring dealers in the county to check their vehicles and vehicle parts to ensure they are safe and legal."

The first operation inspected two second-hand car businesses on the safety and roadworthiness of their vehicles, with checks on areas such as accuracy of mileage and MOT validity.

Trading standards officers and RAPT vehicle examiners checked ten vehicles, with just five of them judged to be roadworthy. Some of the areas identified included corrosion to the body work, loose body work, unsecured batteries, no valid MOT certificate, and windows tinted beyond the legal limit.

Last week, officers also visited seven businesses alongside police vehicle examiners to assess 191 part-worn tyres being offered for sale, checking that they met required safety standards and that businesses had taken necessary steps to ensure compliance.

Part-worn tyres are used tyres that have been removed from a vehicle and are being resold for further use on another vehicle. It is illegal to sell part-worn tyres that do not meet specific legal requirements relating to their markings and physical condition.

Only one tyre out of the 191 checked met the legal requirements as to safety and markings, with 69 deemed to be in a dangerous condition. Dangerous faults identified included nails protruding through to the inside of the tyre, cuts exposing the cord, compromised structural rigidity and inadequate repairs.

Trading Standards officers are continuing to work with all the businesses where issues were found during both operations, to ensure they are compliant with the law after ensuring all identified dangerous cars and tyres had been removed from sale.

Inspector William Drummond from Norfolk Roads and Armed Policing Team said: "Tyres are one of the key safety critical components on vehicles. They are the only part of a vehicle in contact with the road. Any fault that compromises their safety is of immediate concern."

Sophie Leney, Head of Norfolk Trading Standards, said: "As a consumer, you have the right to carry out your own checks on a vehicle before you purchase it, and for a small fee you can always ask a third party, like the AA or RAC, to carry out an inspection to ensure that what you're buying is safe.

"You can use the MOT search function on the Government website to check the mileage advertised by traders against when MOT assessments have taken place. If you're purchasing tyres then you should also visit TyreSafe, a charity raising awareness of the importance of correct tyre maintenance, for the safety issues with buying them part-worn and the danger signs to look out for."

Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe Chair, said: "Part-worn tyres may seem like a cost-saving option, but they can carry serious safety risks if not properly inspected, tested and clearly marked in line with the law. We fully support this market surveillance initiative, which helps protect consumers by ensuring part-worn tyres being sold in Norfolk meet the required safety standards."