Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the deaths of two children and a coach driver on 11 September 2012 as a result of the failure of a tyre which was over 19 years old fitted to the coach and of the resulting Traffic Commissioner's Public Inquiry and the inquest into the deaths, whether they have any proposals to introduce legislative requirements relating to the use of tyres of more than 10 years old on public service vehicles.

The Government has no proposals to introduce legislation restricting the use of tyres on the basis of their age.

Expert advice suggests that tyre ageing is a complex issue where use and maintenance are significant factors rather than simply chronological age.

However, applying the precautionary principle, in 2013 the Department distributed guidance to bus and coach operators on how to establish the age of a tyre and advised that tyres over 10-years of age should only be fitted as part of a twin-wheel arrangement on a rear axle. Enforcement staff of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency continue to advise operators if a non-compliance is identified.

The Department consulted with experts from the tyre industry in both the UK and Europe and the free “Guide to Tyre Management on Heavy Vehicles” was produced with the support of the tyre industry and Senior Traffic Commissioner Bell. In October 2016, copies of this guide were sent to every registered bus and coach operator in the country ensuring that, no matter the size of fleet and irrespective of affiliation to a trade association, these important messages reached as wide an audience as possible.

The Department for Transport has gone to the market twice to commission scientific research regarding the effect of chronological age on tyre integrity. These approaches have not been successful in establishing a robust programme of research and the Department is considering how to proceed. Scientific evidence will inform any future policy decisions and the Department will publish the outcome of the research once completed.