My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Sat 22 Apr 2017 18:31

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - saluja

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and then it blew on the motorway - what do I do? This is recent question to HJ. Driver with 2 bald tyres has recent MoT - which doesn't identify this. Driver then has one tyre blow up on m'way and second bald tyre is noted. Blame goes to MoT station. HJ agrees that MoT station should be checked up. Quite right, of course. However, the driver must have had badly worn tyres for a long time, given they're now bald. Each tyre should get the driver 3 points and £2500 fine. Driver is being reckless, dangerous and irresponsible and should not have been driving the car. The action of the MoT station is a separate affair. Even if driver is not very 'mechanically minded' etc., the responsibility of the car's condition is the driver's and should get someone else to check the tyres etc. even if they can't. I'm really surprised that HJ didn't point a finger of blame on this driver.

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Sat 22 Apr 2017 19:50

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - oldroverboy.

Driver entirely responsible, but MOT station should be "checked over" by DVLA/VOSA

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Sat 22 Apr 2017 20:08

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - FiestaOwner

I agree with saluja.

When I saw the answer to this question, I too was surprised the driver wasn't blamed!

The tyres might have been legal at the time of the MOT. The wheel alignment might have been out and caused the tyres to wear through at the inner or outer edges very soon after the MOT.

The tread on the central 3/4 of the tyre needs to be at least 1.6mm. The tyres could be bald on the edges (as long as there are no exposed cords) and the tyres would pass (as long as there is no other damage). That is my understanding of the tyre law. However with my car I replace at 3mm on the central 3/4 and never run the edges bald (wouldn't let the edges go below 2mm).

Definately the drivers resposibility to check the tyres (and tyre pressures, lights, wipers, washers, fluid levels regularly). Not acceptable to leave it for the MOT tester to do once a year.

Don't have any sympathy for the person who originally asked HJ this question. Hopefully they will take some responsibility themselves for maintaining and checking their vehicle in the future. It's easy to check tyre tread!

Edited by FiestaOwner on 22/04/2017 at 20:08

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Sat 22 Apr 2017 20:28

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - bathtub tom

The tyres could be bald on the edges

Last time I read the rules regarding tyre wear it stated "There must be visible tread on the remainder".

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Sat 22 Apr 2017 20:50

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - FiestaOwner

The tyres could be bald on the edges

Last time I read the rules regarding tyre wear it stated "There must be visible tread on the remainder".

Just thought I'd check what I'd posted. The Mot manual says the following:

"Note:

Each side of the central band of the tyre

can be devoid of tread

(i.e. ‘bald’) and still meet

the pass standard. See diagram below."

The Mot manual is on the following link. see page 106:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attac...f

Perhaps the construction and use regs (what the police use to book you with) agree with what you have quoted.

Edited by FiestaOwner on 22/04/2017 at 20:51

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Sat 22 Apr 2017 21:09

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - veloceman

Total idiot.
Drives around with knowingly illegal tyres then blames someone else when it goes wrong.
Some people shouldn't even have a licence.
Take some responsibility for you own actions!

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Sun 23 Apr 2017 12:49

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - John F

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and then it blew on the motorway - what do I do?

Get another tyre and learn from your experience to take responsibility for the condition and correct pressure of your tyres at the start of every journey.

Your story requires the suspension of disbelief. It is most unlikely that any MoT mechanic would fail to notice seriously bald tyres. Even if the tread was far below the legal minimum and had almost completely disappeared it would still be most unlikely to 'blow' if the pressure was correct. What is far more likely is that you had a slow puncture, the tyre overheated and then 'blew' at the weakest point.

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Sun 23 Apr 2017 13:16

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - gordonbennet

Just another result of the modern world, one led by pygmy politicians, where no one takes responsibility for either actions or inactions.

I wonder if anyone has a metaphorical card sitting in pride of place on the desk of their mind's eye, one stating 'the buck stops here'

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Wed 26 Apr 2017 00:22

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - Bilboman

I did a double take when I saw the original letter, as it had the hallmarks of a submission to the "Letterbocks" section of Viz...
"Dear HJ, after driving 422 miles on a full tank of petrol, my car spluttered to a halt and now will not start. Do you think it could be the main bearing?"
"Dear HJ, I always drive on the left while on holiday in France, just as I do in Britain, and local drivers keep hooting and flashing at me and I've had three accidents and been arrested five times so far this week. What do you think could be wrong?"

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Wed 26 Apr 2017 13:30

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - daveyjp

There is far too little detail in the original question the only place for the letter is the bin.

As we know MOT is condition at the time it is done. Swapping items with borrowed ones before an MOT then swapping back afterwards has been done before.

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Wed 26 Apr 2017 15:59

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - Theophilus

Swapping items with borrowed ones before an MOT then swapping back afterwards has been done before.

When visiting Madagascar I saw roadside stalls with piles of second-hand tyres, and was told that these did a brisk trade in renting out a set of (barely legal!) tyres by the day for motorists to get their vehicles through the equivalent of an MOT.

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Wed 26 Apr 2017 16:33

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - bathtub tom

Swapping items with borrowed ones before an MOT then swapping back afterwards has been done before.

I was waiting for an MOT when they failed the car before me. It had 12" wheels on one side and 13" on the other. The tester explained it had previously been failed on bald tyres on one side and presumed they been swapped with another car without noticing the size difference.

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Wed 26 Apr 2017 19:02

My MoT failed to pick up bald tyres and .... - oldroverboy.

Many years ago, (1980) a friend borrowed my wheels to put an MOT on his car before selling it.

In Switzerland .. Geneva to be precise.. for the "visite technique"

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