Record MOT tyre failures spark law change call

A record 2.15 million vehicles failed their MOT due to tyre defects in the past year, new figures suggest.

More than a third (36%) of these failures - more than 750,000 vehicles - had previously been flagged with tyre-related advisories,

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) data shows that 2.15 million vehicles failed the MOT on tyre defects in 2023-24 - up from just over 2 million the previous year, and rising steadily from 1.83 million in 2019-20.

A group of key road safety stakeholders - including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and TyreSafe - is demanding tighter safety regulations, warning that lives are being put at risk.

Commander Kyle Gordon from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) roads policing portfolio, said: “These figures are truly shocking. Over two million vehicles failing MOT due to something as basic as safe tyres is frightening.

“Tyre safety is not simply about compliance, it is absolutely critical to the safety of everyone using our roads. 

“Defective tyres can turn even a careful and competent law-abiding driver into a killer as the weakest link in a chain of causality leading to a collision. 

“With an average of five road deaths, and 80 serious injuries every day on our roads, it is the responsibility of every driver and rider to ensure that they are not personally the cause of the sort of daily heartbreak families and communities needlessly and consistently suffer at the hands of irresponsible road users.”

The data has been analysed by Verifleet, a UK vehicle compliance platform that helps fleets and businesses stay roadworthy.

Richard Stowe, director of Verifleet, said: “We have the technology and the data to issue simple, targeted reminders after an MOT advisory, yet we leave it entirely to the driver.

“The consequences of that inaction can be fatal. It’s time we treated tyre safety with the seriousness it deserves.”

Verifleet is supporting campaigners in their call to tighten the law and close the dangerous gaps in tyre safety enforcement.

With this serious safety risk escalating, they are calling for mandatory follow-up action within three months of a tyre advisory - such as driver alerts, prompts or proof-of-replacement requirements - to ensure defective tyres are not left unaddressed.

In 2023 alone, 1,695 people were killed and more than 139,000 were reported injured in collisions on the UK’s roads, with defective tyres recognised as a significant and preventable factor in many crashes.

Tyre safety is critical because tyres are the only part of a vehicle that makes direct contact with the road.

Worn, underinflated or damaged tyres significantly increase braking distances, reduce grip and stability, and raise the risk of losing control, particularly in wet or emergency conditions. 

In the UK, tyre safety is only formally checked once a year at MOT - with no mandatory inspections or reminders in between.

Jamie Hassall, executive director at PACTS, said: “It’s clear the current system is not working given the numbers of MOT fails relating to a critical safety element of the vehicle.

“We need a people-centred approach using the safe system to ensure safety critical defects are being picked up earlier and supporting drivers to be safer so the police can focus on those that don’t. 

“Given the maximum fine per tyre is £2,500, and up to £5,000 for commercial vehicles, the Government could be collecting over £5 billion in fines, should more resources be needed to look at this differently and fund wider road safety projects.”

For more on tyres, read ‘Cost, technology and management: a look at the evolving tyre landscape’ from Fleet News.