Driving with Defective Tyres

If your vehicle has a defect which makes it potentially unsafe, you may be in breach of the law, specifically the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986.  These regulations cover deficiencies in tyres and brakes, and other mechanical problems with a vehicle.

Typical examples include driving with:

• Defective tyres
• Faulty brakes
• Damaged windscreen

You will be in breach of the Regulations if your tyres and brakes are defective, or you  overload your car, van or lorry. Driving whilst using a phone also falls under these regulations, because of the safety implications.

Breaching these Regulations is made a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988.  For many of these offences, the police will offer you the chance to pay a fine of £100 and take 3 penalty points on your licence.

Your defence to driving with defective tyres

If you’re accused of driving with tyres that are worn, call us for advice.  However clear the case seems to be, it is worth getting a driving law specialist to scrutinize the evidence against you. Without the right evidence, there can be no conviction.

It may be that you agree with the charge, and you need an outcome from court which allows you to keep driving – or minimises the impact on your driving licence. It may be that the charges seem unfair – for example, if you didn’t reasonably know about the defect. Or it may be that you are facing multiple charges and need to lessen the overall impact of the sentence on you. We can help.

If you would like guidance specific to your situation, please be in touch. There is no charge for our initial legal advice and no obligation to use us further: we will clarify where you stand, we’ll outline your options, and we’ll outline the best legal strategy to move forward.