Northern Ireland considering 10-year-old truck tyre ban

A public consultation seeking views about the proposal to introduce legislation in Northern Ireland which would ban the use of tyres 10 years or older on certain vehicle types, has been launched.

The ban would apply to the front axles of heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches and on all axles of minibuses when fitted in single configuration. It does not include private cars.

A ban on such tyres has been in place in Great Britain since 1st February 2021, and also applies not only to vehicles registered in Britain but also to those that are visiting the country, which includes those from Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd said: “In recent years the safety of older tyres on heavy vehicles has become a matter of increasing concern. There have been a number of very serious road traffic collisions involving coaches and trucks, some with tragic consequences where the accident investigator or a coroner concluded that the tyre failure was as a direct result of its age.

“I believe there is no compromise on the issue of road safety and I want my Department to be proactive where it can be. This consultation document seeks your views on proposals to introduce legislation making it an offence to use tyres 10 years or older on heavy goods vehicles and larger vehicles used to transport passengers.

“I would welcome your feedback on this important road safety issue and I would encourage all of those with a vested interest to complete the consultation.”

The consultation is now open and closes at 23:59 on 18th December, 2022.