Towards the end of 2017 Legendary Drivers did some research on service workshop performance - particularly in relation to the sale of replacement tyres. Our data collected from over 400 UK franchised dealers unveiled a very worrying trend.
Although dealerships recorded a total of 29,000 'red' tires during November, less than 9,000 replacement tires were sold. That means, within just one month, more than 20,000 dangerous tires were removed from dealerships, all of which showed serious defects, and in some cases, were declared illegal.
Statistics like these are obviously a cause for concern, but what makes the results even more alarming is that not as many tires are being replaced at a time of year when, seasonally, drivers should be all over the place. There is more risk than
Bad weather is only expected in the winter months, yet many parts of the UK experienced particularly poor driving conditions towards the end of 2017. In fact, snow, ice and rain have now extended into the New Year. This report is just one example of the recent chaos caused by dangerous driving conditions.
A cause for concern
As we shared our findings, several industry publications expressed concern over the potential implications of failing to replace dangerous tires — and rightfully so. First and foremost, there is the issue of safety. Worn tires pose a serious risk in dry weather conditions. During poor, wet conditions, however, this risk increases.
As discussed in the Fleet News article, on wet roads the tire is responsible for expelling water so that the tires can grip the road surface below. If the tread wears too little, cornering, performance and braking are severely impaired, while the risk of aquaplaning increases. According to figures from the Department for Transport, over a five year period (2012-2016) the presence of illegal/defective tires accounted for an alarming 14,460 road fatalities across the UK!
If legendary drivers stay out of service with hard worn tires, there is also a very real risk that within a short period of time, these tires will reach illegal levels (less than 1.6mm). If caught, motorcyclists will subsequently face fines of up to £2,500 and three penalty points per tyre.
Franchised dealers also suffer the consequences when drivers are allowed to leave workshops with "red" tyres. As well as missing out on obvious revenue opportunities, after-sales departments are vulnerable to potential consequences if a motorist involved in an accident is later able to argue that they were at risk of driving on their tyres. was not sufficiently informed.