Wholesaler praises Goodyear part worn initiative

Alan Baldwin, wholesale director at Micheldever Tyre Services, has praised Goodyear Dunlop UK’s recent part worn information initiative “in the strongest possible way.” Speaking to Tyres & Accessories, Baldwin highlighted what he called “their excellent initiative in exposing the dangers of part worn tyres to the consumer”.

He continued: “Amongst all the tyre manufacturers, Goodyear has clearly grasped the horrendous dangers of what the almost totally un-policed and dangerous part worn market means to the consumers safety and pockets…Goodyear’s excellent flyer (“The Ugly Truth about Part Worns) is the best information a consumer could be given and should be applauded by the entire industry.”

In addition to Goodyear Dunlop itself, the company’s Goodyear brand ambassador, Quentin Wilson (a well-known motoring journalist in his own right) is also bringing this issue to light. 

“Tyresafe has also worked tirelessly with trading standards around the UK to further highlight the issue, and we at MTS have seen it as a duty to our customers to produce tens of thousands of anti–dangerous part worn flyers for distribution around the UK,” Baldwin explained.

Part worn market could be as much as ‘5 million units a year’

Alan Baldwin also sought to contest recent figures suggesting the size of the part worn market had grown 50 per cent in recent years to between two and three million tyres a year. In his view it is much higher:

“UK tyre Retailers are under pressure like never before, recessionary pressures on consumers pockets, reductions in car usage, and massive pressure on retail prices due to national retailer discounting are all causing immense problems, but why should they suffer further sales attrition from the uncontrolled growth in the illegal part worn market which we firmly believe contrary to recent reports is nearer 5 million units a year.” 

And furthermore, the MTS wholesale director would like to see a concerted effort from all parties to raise the profile of this issue: “The entire UK tyre industry must galvanise with Goodyear’s example to lobby, publicise and expose this disgraceful trade that offers horrendous risks to the consumer…For how much longer will the UK be Europe’s scrap casing dump?”