Point S Tyre & Autocare, a UK leading independent network of tyre retailers and automotive repair centres, has called for an immediate reform to the way tyre defects are assessed. The network insists that tyre-related issues in MOTs should result in an immediate failure, rather than an advisory or a minor.
Figures from the DVSA highlight that the number of failures has risen substantially from 2 million in 2024 to 2.15 million. The government agency also confirmed that 36% of all tyre-related failures impacting over 750,000 vehicles had already been registered as an advisory on the previous test, putting the effectiveness of MOT testing for tyres into question.
In its current format, MOTs may allow certain tyre issues to be logged as minor defects, underestimating the critical safety risks tyres present. Ali Yilmaz, Managing Director of Point S UK, said: “As professionals on the front line of vehicle safety, we see first-hand how even marginal tyre issues can become catastrophic. Tyres are the only point of contact between a vehicle and the road and if they are compromised, so is everyone’s safety. The MOT should reflect that with zero tolerance for tyre defects.”
“The Point S network goes a step further, none of our members sell part-worn tyres due to the inherent safety risks of below par materials. Selling and fitting part-worn parts makes little logical sense, you wouldn’t fit part-won brake pads, so why is it okay to do so for tyres?”
The network is urging the DVSA and policymakers to prioritise tyre safety in any forthcoming MOT reform, echoing the sentiments expressed by industry leaders and safety advocates across the sector. It supports the idea that clearer, stricter standards specifically making any tyre defect an automatic MOT fail will help save lives and reduce avoidable incidents on UK roads.
Mark Darvill, Owner of Hillclimb Garage, and member of the Point S network, said: “Vehicles have become ever more reliant on the high performance and the quality of tyres to ensure safe driving. The tyre is one of the single most important and safety-critical components on the vehicle, and as such, drivers should never compromise on quality.”
This will be especially true as electric vehicles (EVs) become more prevalent in the UK car parc. Figures indicate that £2.3 billion worth of replacement tyres were sold in the UK, with this figure expected to rise to £3.9 billion by 2030 owing to the rise in EV sales and the faster tyre wear rate of EVs.
In keeping with its commitment to tyre safety, Point S stresses the need for public education around tyre maintenance, including proper tread depth, inflation levels, and signs of wear, empowering motorists to act before they reach the MOT bay.
This is a sentiment shared across the network. Ian Hissey, General Manager/Director at Hissey’s Garage in Stoke-on-Trent, added: “We find that many customers, when making poor tyre decisions, do so out of financial necessity. Stricter regulation will undoubtedly increase the financial challenges, but these same regulations will also drive forward the protection of the people who need it most.”
“Safety shouldn’t be a grey area,” Yilmaz added. “We welcome dialogue with regulators, but we’re clear on one thing – when it comes to tyres, there’s no such thing as ‘minor’.”
