The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2003

Substitution of Part II

4.  For Part II there shall be substituted the following Part—

“PART II REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO THE SUPPLY OF TYRES

Interpretation of Part II

4.   In this Part of these Regulations—

(a) the expressions—

• “low performance moped”;

• “moped”;

• “motor cycle”;

• “motor tricycle”;

• “quadricycle”; and

• “three-wheel moped”

have the same meanings as in EC Directive 2002/24; and

(b) the expressions—

• “carcass”;

• “sidewall”; and

• “tread”

have the same meanings as in EC Directive 92/23.

Supply of new tyres for certain vehicles

5.   Subject to Part III of these Regulations, no person shall supply any tyre (not being a retreaded or part-worn tyre) designed so as to be capable of being fitted to a wheel of any of the following—

(a) a passenger car,

(b) a light trailer,

(c) a moped (not being a low performance moped),

(d) a motor cycle,

(e) a motor tricycle,

(f) a three-wheel moped, or

(g) a quadricycle,

unless the tyre is marked with an approval mark in accordance with the requirements of ECE Regulation 30, 30.01, 30.02, 54 or 75 or of EC Directives 92/23 or 97/24.

Supply of retreaded tyres for certain vehicles

6.— (1) Subject to Part III of these Regulations, no person shall supply any retreaded tyre (not being a part-worn tyre) designed so as to be capable of being fitted to a wheel of a passenger car or a commercial vehicle or a trailer unless the following requirements are met with respect to the tyre, that is to say—

(a) it must not bear any mark indicating that it complies with the requirements of ECE Regulation 30, 30.01, 30.02 or 54 or of EC Directive 92/23;

(b) in the case of supplies taking place on or before 31st December 2003, the tyre must either—

(i) be marked in accordance with paragraph 6 of BS AU 144e (and if it has been repaired during the course of retreading then it must have been properly repaired) or

(ii) conform to a type in respect of which approval has been granted pursuant to ECE Regulation 108 or 109; and

(c) in the case of a supply taking place on or after 1st January 2004, the tyre must conform to a type in respect of which approval has been granted pursuant to ECE Regulation 108 or 109.

(2) Subject to Part III of these Regulations, no person shall supply any retreaded tyre (not being a part-worn tyre) designed so as to be capable of being fitted to the wheel of a moped (not being a low performance moped), a motor cycle, a motor tricycle, a three-wheel moped or a quadricycle, on or after 1st January 2004 unless either—

(a) the tyre complies with the requirements set out in paragraph (1)(a) and (c), or

(b) the following requirements are met with respect to the tyre, that is to say—

(i) it must not bear any mark indicating that it complies with the requirements of ECE Regulation 75 or of EC Directive 97/24;

(ii) prior to being retreaded, the carcass conformed to a type of tyre in respect of which approval had been granted pursuant either to ECE Regulation 75 or to EC Directive 97/24 and it bore an “E” or “e” mark;

(iii) it must not previously have been retreaded;

(iv) the carcass which has been retreaded must be no more than 7 years old, the age being determined on the basis of the digits of the date of manufacture code which is marked on the sidewall;

(v) it is permanently marked to enable the identification (whether through the use of a code or otherwise) of the name, and either the type or trade description or model reference, of the original manufacturer of the carcass which has been retreaded;

(vi) it complies, as regards dimensions and performance, with the requirements set out either in ECE Regulation 75 or in EC Directive 97/24;

(vii) it has moulded on to, or into, at least one of its sidewalls and in letters not less than 4 millimetres high, the word “RETREAD”;

(viii) it complies, as regards markings, with the requirements set out either in ECE Regulation 75, paragraph 3 (except paragraph 3.2) or in EC Directive 97/24, Annex II, paragraph 2;

(ix) if it has been repaired during the course of retreading, it must have been properly repaired; and

(x) it must not show either a higher speed symbol or a higher load index than that originally borne by the carcass which has been retreaded.

Supply of part-worn tyres for certain vehicles

7.— (1) Subject to Part III of these Regulations, no person shall supply any part-worn tyre or any part-worn retreaded tyre designed so as to be capable of being fitted to a wheel of any of the following—

(a) a passenger car,

(b) a commercial vehicle,

(c) a light trailer,

(d) a moped (not being a low performance moped),

(e) a motorcycle,

(f) a motor tricycle,

(g) a three-wheel moped, or

(h) a quadricycle,

unless the following requirements are met.

(2) The tyre must not have—

(a) any cut in excess of 25 millimetres or 10 per cent. of the section width of the tyre (whichever is the greater) measured in any direction on the outside of the tyre and deep enough to reach the ply or cord;

(b) any internal or external lump, bulge or tear caused by the separation or partial failure of its structure;

(c) any of the ply or cord exposed internally or externally; or

(d) any penetration damage which has not been repaired.

(3) When inflated to the highest pressure at which it is designed to operate, the tyre must not exhibit any of the external defects described in paragraph (2).

(4) The grooves of the original tread pattern of the tyre must be of a depth of at least 2 millimetres across the full breadth of tread and round the entire outer circumference of the tyre.

(5) If the tyre has not been retreaded and is designed so as to be capable of being fitted to a wheel of any of the vehicles described in paragraph (1), it must bear—

(a) immediately adjacent to every approval mark borne by the tyre, a mark that meets the requirements of paragraph (10); and

(b) a speed category symbol and load capacity index, being marks that were moulded on to, or into, the tyre at the time that it was manufactured and that are in accordance with the requirements of ECE Regulation 30, 30.01, 30.02, 54 or 75 or of EC Directive 92/23 or EC Directive 97/24.

(6) If the tyre has been retreaded and is designed so as to be capable of being fitted to a wheel of any of the vehicles described in paragraph (1)—

(a) it must bear—

(i) the mark “BS AU 144b”, “BS AU 144c”, “BS AU 144d” or “BS AU 144e”, or

(ii) an approval mark indicating that the tyre complies with the requirements of ECE Regulation 108 or 109, or

(iii) comply, as regards markings, with the requirements set out in paragraph (b)(v), (vii) and (viii) of regulation 6(2);

(b) the mark must have been permanently and legibly applied to the tyre at the time it was retreaded; and

(c) it must bear—

(i) in the case of a tyre bearing a mark of a description specified in sub-paragraph (a)(i) or (ii), immediately adjacent to such mark, or

(ii) in the case of a tyre marked in accordance with sub-paragraph (a)(iii), immediately adjacent to the word “RETREAD”,

a mark that meets the requirements of paragraph (10).

(7) If a tyre has been retreaded and bears the mark “BS AU 144e”, it must bear a speed category symbol and load-capacity index, being marks that were permanently and legibly applied to the tyre at the time it was manufactured or retreaded and that are in accordance with BS AU 144e: 1988;

(8) If the tyre has been repaired, it must have been properly repaired.

(9) Without prejudice to paragraph (8), if the tyre has been repaired, it must meet the requirements of paragraph 8 of BS AU 159f: 1997 (which include marking requirements) and the requirements of paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 of that instrument must have been met in relation to that repair.

(10) In order for a mark to meet the requirements of this paragraph, it must consist of the word “PART-WORN” in uppercase letters at least 4 millimetres high and must have been permanently and legibly applied to the tyre other than by hot branding or otherwise cutting into the tyre.”.