Transport planning chiefs may be keen to improve cost reduction, but skimping on new tyres could have fatal results, it has been claimed.
According to European tyre retailing group mytyres.co.uk, people who opt for part-worn or second-hand tyres could be making a costly and potentially dangerous decision.
The group revealed that the number of retailers selling this type of tyre has increased during the current economic climate, with many motorists looking to take advantage.
However, despite current UK legislation aimed at protecting drivers from dangerous part-worn tyres, Trading Standards checks suggest some still slip through the net.
The inspections showed that more than 30 per cent of second-hand tyres may have unseen and potentially lethal faults that could result in sudden deflation.
As a result, the decision to purchase part-worn tyres could prove to be a false economy and may put drivers and other road users at risk, the retailer warned.
The caution comes after the results of Michelin's 2009 Fill Up With Air campaign revealed that up to a third of UK motorists are driving on dangerous and under-inflated tyres.
