A roundtable discussion initiated by the NTDA and facilitated by the Office for Product Safety and Standards brought together senior enforcement and policy representatives including the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Department for Transport, DEFRA, DVSA and the Environment Agency to explore how unsafe part-worn tyres can be tackled more effectively.
Part-worn tyres remain a complex safety and consumer protection issue. They can offer a lower-cost option for motorists, but when they are not properly checked, marked and sold in line with existing regulations, they can also create serious risks on the road.
The scale of the challenge
At the roundtable, NTDA provided evidence on the volume of non-compliant part-worn tyres that continue to appear in the market. The concern is not only that unsafe tyres may reach consumers, but also that responsibility for identifying those risks may come too late in the supply chain.
Tyre safety is a practical road safety issue. When tyres are damaged, badly repaired, incorrectly marked or unsuitable for reuse, the consequences can extend beyond individual buyers to wider road users and public services.
Why enforcement alone is not enough
Enforcement bodies recognise the risks, and previous Trading Standards-led activity has shown the value of targeted interventions. However, limited resources across agencies mean that isolated enforcement exercises are unlikely to solve the problem on their own.
The discussion pointed towards the need for a more coordinated approach: one that combines intelligence sharing, clearer guidance, business engagement and consumer awareness.
Helping businesses and consumers make safer choices
Participants agreed that improving compliance support for businesses is an important part of the solution. Existing resources, including Business Companion guidance and TyreSafe materials, could be promoted more widely to help sellers understand their responsibilities.
Consumer awareness also matters. Many drivers may prioritise price when buying tyres without fully understanding the potential safety implications of buying part-worn products from an unreliable source.
Clarifying waste, reuse and imports
Another important theme was the classification of imported tyres. The discussion explored when tyres should be treated as waste, what counts as preparation for reuse, and how waste management principles apply before products enter the UK market.
There was broad agreement that greater clarity in this area would help regulators, businesses and enforcement teams apply the rules more consistently.
A shared route forward
The strongest message from the roundtable was that no single organisation can address the issue alone. Participants supported a multi-agency approach built around better intelligence, practical guidance, targeted communications and future opportunities for joint activity.
Key takeaways
- Unsafe part-worn tyres remain a road safety and consumer protection concern.
- Enforcement is important, but resource constraints mean it needs to be supported by wider collaboration.
- Clearer understanding of imported tyres, waste status and reuse criteria would help improve consistency.
- Better business guidance and consumer awareness could reduce the risk of unsafe products being sold.
- Continued cooperation between industry, regulators and policy teams is essential.
Conclusion
NTDA CEO, Ian Andrew concluded that the roundtable was a useful step towards a more joined-up response to the risks associated with part-worn tyres. While there was no single immediate solution, there was a clear commitment to continue sharing evidence, clarifying responsibilities and identifying collaborative practical interventions that can improve safety for motorists and the wider public.