Bridgestone slams UK’s ‘disastrous’ car-test plans

London – Bridgestone has renewed its opposition to UK plans to extend the deadline for the annual MOT roadworthiness tests for new cars and motorcycles to four years from the current three years.

In a 25 Jan statement, the Japanese tire-maker’s UK office warned that the government’s new scheme could have “disastrous consequences”.

UK lawmakers are currently consulting industry about the idea that, it is claimed, could save motorists ‘more than £100 million (€117 million) per year.’

“The 12 months will result in more cars running on illegal tires below the 1.6mm tread depth limit,” said Bridgestone’s managing director Robin Shaw.

Bridgestone, he added, will “continue to oppose these proposals, as we believe they will lead to an increase in the number of unsafe and illegal vehicles on our roads.”

Putting the cost of tire-related road casualties in the past five years at £435.6 million, Shaw argued that the figure would rise as motorists will not check safety of tires soon enough.

“The tire industry spends a great deal of time attempting to educate motorists about checking their tires more regularly, but we know that one in five drivers have never checked their tire tread depth. These plans could have disastrous consequences, with our roads becoming more dangerous than ever,” he added.

Research commissioned in 2016 by TyreSafe revealed that more than 27% of tires were already illegal when they were replaced. That equates to more than one-in-four of the 37 million cars and light commercial vehicles.

“Extending the time until the first MOT test has been proposed several times in recent years and each time it has been rejected because of the impact on road safety,” said TyreSafe’s chairman – and Bridgestone business development director – Stuart Jackson.

The open consultation on the government’s MOT plans closes on 16 April before the proposals are refined and presented to members of parliament.