‘DON’T BAN OLD TYRES!’
Why Britain’s biggest classic organisation is arguing against a ten-year rule for old rubber
Tyres should not be banned on the basis of their age, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) has argued in response to a government consultation.
It responded to Department for Transport (DfT) proposals for
banning older tyres on commercial vehicles by arguing in favour of the status quo, in arguments that could have implications for classics.
Clubs were quick to point out the risks of using older rubber. Ford Model Y&C Register chairman, Bob Wilkinson, said: ‘It’s not worth risking lives for the sake of a set of tyres. Older tyres can look perfect but will have deteriorated.
‘There’s a particular problem where cars have been left standing, after which the tyres should be replaced.’
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) has published its final response to a Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on tyres aged ten years and older – and says that they should not be banned simply because of their age.
Classic car enthusiasts and clubs took an interest in the DfT’s research – conducted last year into the safety performance of older tubeless radial bus and coach tyres – because many low-mileage or seasonal cars have tyres of that age. When consultations began last year into adopting a ten-year tyre commercial limit, Car SOS cohost and CCW contributor, Fuzz Townshend, was among those who said that they would back similar laws for cars ( CCW, 13 Feb).
Individual clubs have also broadly backed the idea and
are urging classic owners to be vigilant over tyres, but remain divided as to whether or not age is the deciding factor in historic vehicle tyre safety.
Ford Model Y&C Register chairman, Bob Wilkinson, said: ‘It’s not worth risking lives for the sake of a set of tyres. Older tyres can look perfect but will have deteriorated. There’s a particular problem where cars have been left standing.’
Rover Sports Register chairman, Mike Maher, said: ‘Good tyres are essential on a classic car and it’s not worth taking risks with old ones. In any case, you should check tyres regularly, preferably on a ramp. This is more important than ever now that older cars don’t have to be MoT’d regularly.’
The FBHVC says that the DfT’s own research suggests that age is not the only factor in tyre safety. Tyre failure was to blame for two tragic coach accidents in 2012 and 2017, but the DfT put more stock in the assertions of the tyred.org.uk pressure group’s commercial vehicle tyre findings than that of the Transport Research Laboratory, which argued that use patterns, storage and maintenance were of greater importance in how a tyre responds at a critical moment.
The Federation also considered other problems in the DfT’s findings – there was no testing of tubed radials, retreaded tyres or crossplies in its consideration about whether to set a tyre age limit. These tyres are used on historic commercial vehicles as well as historic cars; the FBHVC’s opinion is that banning all tyres over ten years old when different constructions react in different ways to time and storage somewhat undermines the safety remit of the DfT’s research.
Unusually sized tyres produced infrequently could also be rendered worthless; the Federation understands that owners stockpile such tyres. It also asked the DfT to consider the environmental impact; while said tyres would not contribute to roadside particulates, disposing them would still cause pollution.
The FBHVC in its response, said: ‘The proposal, creating as it does a major precedent of mandating the lifing of components of motor vehicles, lacks sufficient supporting evidence that failures are likely to occur, save on an almost random basis, to justify a measurable decrease in accidents and thus justify such an important change.
‘It is recommended that the DfT undertakes further research before proceeding, if at all, with the proposal.’