Attention all British drivers.. be aware of this legality

hollydolly said:
why are you asking me, ? I'm just the messanger..however I am a researcher, and I never post anything here as a factual statement unless I'm more certain than not it's true... ..if you don't want to believe it..don't..you clearly don't want to.. but go ask a copper..... however he did explain in a long post about how he'd completed a form on the .gov site asking for time to pay... and all the hassle that caused..
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You chose to be the messenger and the person who created this thread. My responses are towards the subject matter, and not necassarly directed to you. It’s an open forum for all to contribute. The points I’ve been making are open to all to respond to. As far as I can see from my post , all the questions were rhetorical.
 

Mike said:
Here is the UK Highway Code, the rules for all
road users.
All I can find is to check your tyre pressure every
two weeks, this law has been in place since I drove
trucks.
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/uploads/3/2/9/2/3292309/the_official_highway_code_-_27-07-2022.pdf

Mike.
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As I now look at the MOT Test again, and the section pertaining to tyres. Item (k) says, “Tyre obviously under inflated” is categorised as a ‘Minor’ issue, and is not an MOT failure. It therefor can still be used on the road.

It would seem strange that the person who had low tyre pressures, that couldn’t be seen visually, would then plead guilty to a law that doesn’t exist.
 
Magna-Carta said:
The OP said this, “I was sentenced to pay within one week a fine of 520 £ among which 129 £ as surcharge to fund victim services(!!)” As far as I’m aware, the time period for paying any court fine in the UK is 28 days, the court can give the defendant more time to pay if they have a good reason. I think this is well known? But why would a court significantly reduce the time period for paying a fine from what is normal? Would the court even legaly be able to do that? And do that for the poupose of what?

The person also says, “I probably made the mistake not to ask to keep evidences of the test run…” I don’t even know what that means, in the context given regarding the whole post.

The person chose to plead guilty. His decision, no-one else’s. Yet there is no law as far as I’m aware regarding tyre pressures. And tyre pressures that the person says, “…low pressure you could barely notice with visual inspection” When is this law supposed to have come into effect

I’m not aware of it being, “…illegal to drive with tyres that are just as little as 20 % under pressure”, in itself. Let’s consider this for a moment. I had “runflat” tyres on my car, designed to run during a puncture and no air pressure. Would these be considered illegal to use based on this law that I can’t find any evidence of existing.

The only thing I can see regarding tyre inflation in the MOT test is that, the tyre shall not be used if the tyre is not so inflated as to make it fit for use. There is nothing that I can see in the MOT Test that mentions tyre pressures as an actual check item. For anyone who doesn’t know, the MOT is a Ministry Of Transport safety and roadworthiness test, carried out by law every year on vehicles older than 3 years.

I can maybe imagine someone being stopped by the police and found to have seriously defective tyres, for one reason or another, which is illegal. The person says, “My rear tyres”. It seems more likely that someone had two defective tyres, and maybe as a consequence of the police inspecting them, they also recorded that the tyres were low in pressure. Even a fine of £520, plus £129 surcharge seems harsh (£649) for seriously defective tyres. It seems that something somewhere might not be ringing true.
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Maybe reading this
https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/16594109/drivers-face-fine-stopped-tyres-with-wrong-pressure/
 

PeppermintPatty said:
Maybe reading this
https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/16594109/drivers-face-fine-stopped-tyres-with-wrong-pressure/
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Interesting article in the link from The Sun newspaper you have posted. I’ve now read it all. The headline is misleading, as they often are in The Sun, and so is much of the content. I often hear people in the UK say The Sun newspaper understands its audience.

Why did you want me to read it? You didn’t explain.

I haven’t been able to find any legislation in The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations or criteria relating to a law to do with tyre pressures.

I remember reading through The Sun newspaper as a young body. Always seemed to be a different woman every day on page 3 of the newspaper, completely naked from the waist up.

Who on this forum can remember some of the front page headlines from this oh so British tabloid newspaper, The Sun. Such as, “Fredi Star Ate My Hamster”, “Zip Me Up Before You Go Go”, “Man Who Made Love To Pavements”, “Floppy Johnson Can’t Get An Election”. And the very memorable coverage of the Hillsborough Disaster where 94 soccer fans died, and this newspaper falsely reported about Liverpool soccer fans picking the pockets of victims; urinating on the bodies and on rescue workers who were giving first aid to the people that survived the crush, and many many other falsehoods regarding this horrific incident, as printed nationally by The Sun newspaper. I remember watching it on TV, it was heart wrenching. Didn’t The Sun stop delivering their newspaper to the City of Liverpool because no one would buy it?
 
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I added the link because I had it. When I first read the opening post, I thought, ‘no way,’ so I looked it up and found this.

Now I don’t live in the UK nor do I know for certain whether it’s ‘fake news’ or the real thing. Thats probably for you to decide.

I was merely trying to be helpful. 😁
Sorry if I disappointed you in any way, shape or form. 😊
 
PeppermintPatty said:
I added the link because I had it. When I first read the opening post, I thought, ‘no way,’ so I looked it up and found this.

Now I don’t live in the UK nor do I know for certain whether it’s ‘fake news’ or the real thing. Thats probably for you to decide.

I was merely trying to be helpful. 😁
Sorry if I disappointed you in any way, shape or form. 😊
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No @PeppermintPatty , not disapointed in anyway, shape or form. :) Life is to short to be disappointed.

I’ve been trying my best to find some legislation, law, guidance for UK courts regarding this illusive law relating to tyre pressures. As someone who has worked in the automotive industry for 37 years, I would like to think that if there were such a law then I would know about it? I even spoke to an engineer at work today whose responsibilities include suspension, steering, wheels any tyres, and vehicle dynamics, and even he isn’t aware of such a law. Maybe someone wants to join in my efforts to try and find it, and which legislative code reference it might belong to.
 
Magna-Carta said:
No @PeppermintPatty , not disapointed in anyway, shape or form. :) Life is to short to be disappointed.

I’ve been trying my best to find some legislation, law, guidance for UK courts regarding this illusive law relating to tyre pressures. As someone who has worked in the automotive industry for 37 years, I would like to think that if there were such a law then I would know about it? I even spoke to an engineer at work today whose responsibilities include suspension, steering, wheels any tyres, and vehicle dynamics, and even he isn’t aware of such a law. Maybe someone wants to join in my efforts to try and find it, and which legislative code reference it might belong to.
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Well if you have worked in the automotive for 37 years then YoU are the perfect person who is going to find out for certain and inquisitive minds want to know. Lol. I’d like to know for certain. The fine alone, in the link I added, seemed way over the top. Those are some real hefty fines and would the government be THAT snarky to suddenly throw this tire ( tyre) law at them? It is dangerous. It can cause accidents but it seems too strict as well as unreasonable.

I hope it’s wrong and look forward to finding out from you. 😊
 
It's absolutely right... I have no doubt that it's correct. The guy posted some details of this area and the officers involved, and there are police officers who are members of the neighbourhood app, who would soon say if it was wrong if indeed it was... and not one person has said that he's wrong...in fact many have gone to great detail of research after the initial shock to prove what he's saying is probably correct...
 
Still, I only posted this so anyone in the Uk could be aware it could happen to them if they don't maintain the tyre pressure. . If those people would rather pooh pooh the whole thing as nonsense, then let's hope they keep their own tyres inflated to the correct pressure and don't find themselves in a similarr position
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Well if you have worked in the automotive for 37 years then YoU are the perfect person who is going to find out for certain and inquisitive minds want to know. Lol. I’d like to know for certain. The fine alone, in the link I added, seemed way over the top. Those are some real hefty fines and would the government be THAT snarky to suddenly throw this tire ( tyre) law at them? It is dangerous. It can cause accidents but it seems too strict as well as unreasonable.

I hope it’s wrong and look forward to finding out from you. 😊
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That fine, £2,500, I thought, seemed to be related to a fine that’s given to someone who breaks down on a British motorway due to an unroadworthy & badly maintained car. And then specifically when braking down on a dangerous position causing danger to self & other road users. Others newspapers have reported it in a similar way as The Sun and using the same mention of organisations recommendation in the same misleading way. It makes for a ‘better’ story, I suppose.

It might be fair to say that some newspapers are in the business of selling story’s, as stories sell. Other newspapers are in the business of selling news.

I think part of this drive to inform the public of badly maintained cars, including the mention of tyre pressures in these articles relatively recently, is because government have started turning the ‘shoulder’ of the motorway into another lane to reduce congestion. Obviously the danger then is that if a badly maintained car then brakes down on a motorway; it has no-where to safely stop. Some newspapers twist the story to grab attention and sell papers, and other newspapers report it in a responsible way.

Even though some ‘shoulders’ have been removed, the building of some form of pull-in is made. The only thing is that the government has started to finally realise that they are spaced too far apart, and some cars that break down are then unable to free-wheel into them. I think the likes of the Automobile Association (AA) and the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) warned against them.
 
hollydolly said:
Still, I only posted this so anyone in the Uk could be aware it could happen to them if they don't maintain the tyre pressure. . If those people would rather pooh pooh the whole thing as nonsense, then let's hope they keep their own tyres inflated to the correct pressure and don't find themselves in a similarr position
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As everyone should do. Anything else would be considered irresponsible. Not knowing how to maintain a car or knowing who to go to isn’t a reason for a badly maintained car. Since about 8 years ago all new cars sold in the UK, by law, have to be sold with a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Two of my cars have this system; the other two don’t, as they are older.

I mentioned run-flats in this thread earlier. Personally I think they are a horrible tyre, I can’t ‘feel’ them when driving hard. It can be difficult sometimes to understand what they are doing. Some aspects of my job are to teach people to drive on a closed test track. I have a reassembly good relationship with cars, both on the track and off. I decide what tyre pressure I put in my tyres on my cars. I replaced my run-flats on my BMW Z4 E89 with Michelin Pilot Supersports, because they are a far superior tyre. They feel better; I can tell better what the suspension is doing, and then figure out what the suspension geometry is about the do next.

How about you, what tyre pressures do you have front and rear on your car? and why? What make of tyre do you have, and why did you chose them.

I adust the pressures in my tyres depeding on what I want from them, and the load they are carrying
 
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Can you imagine it. "John! Are you nuts!? Why aren't you pulling over?"

"Silence! It's the tyre cops and I'm under inflated!"

"I'll throw stuff!!"

"Atta girl!"
 
I am sure that the highway code is more than a guide, all
new laws, pedestrian crossing designs and all road signs
are in it for a reason, to let us all know everything to do
with driving, get a few of them wrong when asked during
your driving test and you will fail!

Yes it is a guide, but a very powerful guide.

Mike
 
Magna-Carta said:
That fine, £2,500, I thought, seemed to be related to a fine that’s given to someone who breaks down on a British motorway due to an unroadworthy & badly maintained car. And then specifically when braking down on a dangerous position causing danger to self & other road users. Others newspapers have reported it in a similar way as The Sun and using the same mention of organisations recommendation in the same misleading way. It makes for a ‘better’ story, I suppose.

It might be fair to say that some newspapers are in the business of selling story’s, as stories sell. Other newspapers are in the business of selling news.

I think part of this drive to inform the public of badly maintained cars, including the mention of tyre pressures in these articles relatively recently, is because government have started turning the ‘shoulder’ of the motorway into another lane to reduce congestion. Obviously the danger then is that if a badly maintained car then brakes down on a motorway; it has no-where to safely stop. Some newspapers twist the story to grab attention and sell papers, and other newspapers report it in a responsible way.

Even though some ‘shoulders’ have been removed, the building of some form of pull-in is made. The only thing is that the government has started to finally realise that they are spaced too far apart, and some cars that break down are then unable to free-wheel into them. I think the likes of the Automobile Association (AA) and the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) warned against them.
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Ok maybe that is what the fine is for. That makes more sense than having tire pressure police out. I’m wondering how they would possibly gage whether someone’s over the 20% under inflated level by eyeballing tires. Lol

The road having no shoulder actually sounds dangerous. I happen to really appreciate having that extra space in case of emergencies. If that’s how your highways are leaning towards, that’s a bit on the scary side.
 

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