Record MOT tyre failures spark urgent calls for stricter laws

There has been fresh demands for urgent action on tyre safety in the UK, after new figures revealed a record 2.15 million vehicles failed their MOT due to tyre defects in the past year.

Alarmingly, 36 per cent of these failures – more than 750,000 vehicles – had previously been flagged with tyre-related advisories, potentially exposing a widespread and dangerous pattern of ignored warnings.

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) data shows that 2,152,849 vehicles across the UK failed the MOT on tyre defects in 2023-24 – up from just over two million the previous year, and rising steadily from 1.83 million in 2019-20.

Here in Ireland, almost 75,000 drivers failed their NCT in 2023 because of problems with the vehicle’s tyres or wheels, while in 2024, just over 50,000 CVRT tests were failed because of ‘wheels and tyres’ – a category that is consistently in the top five reasons for failure in the test.

A group of key road safety stakeholders in the UK – 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.

The data has been analysed by Verifleet, a UK vehicle compliance platform that helps fleets and businesses stay roadworthy. 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 the UK, and indeed Ireland, tyre safety is only formally checked once a year at MOT (NCT) – with no mandatory inspections or reminders in between.

Drivers often receive a tyre advisory at the MOT and NCT, warning that tread is low or tyres are wearing unevenly – a sign they should be replaced soon, before becoming unsafe.

But with no legal obligation or follow-up system in place, the onus is entirely on the driver to do the right thing.

In reality, many drivers ignore the advisory, as there is no system in place to ensure they act on it – often continuing to drive until the next MOT/NCT, when the tyres may be dangerously bald or defective.

Campaigners warn this regulatory gap is putting lives at risk.

Stuart Lovatt, chair of TyreSafe, a charity set up to reduce the number of tyre-related incidents on Britain’s roads, said: “The escalating number of MOT failures due to tyre defects, particularly the significant proportion linked to ignored minor defects and advisories from a previous MOT, presents a deeply worrying picture for road safety in the UK.

“These figures strongly suggest a widespread lack of attention to a component that is literally the only contact between a vehicle and the road. This latest data serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for not only all drivers to prioritise regular tyre checks and act immediately on any warnings received, but also for consistent compliance with the legal standards regarding tyre condition.”

Jamie Hassall, executive director at PACTS added: “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.”