UK tyre fitters see rise in enquiries as new laws come in

ERJ staff report (DS)

St Albans, UK -- UK-based fast-fit company Kwik-Fit said it has seen a sharp rise in requests for fleet inspections by fleet managers since April 6. The UK implemented a new law on corporate manslaughter on that date, and this has put further pressure on businesses to comply with health and safety at work legislation. Britain's largest independent fast-fit company says organisations that fail to ensure that tyres are checked regularly are leaving themselves open to potential prosecution in the event of a crash.

Typically, said Kwik-Fit, tyres maybe under or over inflated; tread maybe below, or close to the 1.6mm legal minimum across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tyre and around the entire circumference; tyre wear maybe irregular which may indicate a wheel alignment or vehicle loading problem; or the wall of a tyre may be damaged.

Mike Wise, head of Kwik-Fit Fleet, said: “In the event of a crash involving a vehicle being driven on business, tyre condition will be one of the issues looked at by investigating police officers. A failure to ensure checks are being carried out and to have a record of those checks could leave companies wide open to court action. ”

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Press release listing at Kwik-Fit