Spare tires and the law
Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:26 am
You don't have to carry a spare and it does not have to comply with the legal requirements while it is stowed away. However, when fitted to the vehicle (for example, following a puncture) it must then comply with the law. The spare is not tested in the MOT but the examiner may draw your attention to an unserviceable item as a matter of courtesy.
Penalties
If you drive a vehicle fitted with an illegal or defective tyre on a road, a police officer may give you a Fixed Penalty Notice or, in Scotland, a Conditional Offer Notice.
A police officer has discretion not to issue a fixed penalty but to report the case for prosecution. In law, the driver and the owner (if different) are liable and one or both may be summonsed.
The maximum fine which a court can impose for using a vehicle with a defective tyre is £2,500 and three penalty points (£5,000 in the case of a goods vehicle or a vehicle constructed or adapted to carry more than eight passengers).
If a vehicle is fitted with more than one defective tyre, you can be summonsed for each tyre which is illegal. Disqualification
is also possible in certain circumstances.
your car does not need a spare tire to pass the mot
Penalties
If you drive a vehicle fitted with an illegal or defective tyre on a road, a police officer may give you a Fixed Penalty Notice or, in Scotland, a Conditional Offer Notice.
A police officer has discretion not to issue a fixed penalty but to report the case for prosecution. In law, the driver and the owner (if different) are liable and one or both may be summonsed.
The maximum fine which a court can impose for using a vehicle with a defective tyre is £2,500 and three penalty points (£5,000 in the case of a goods vehicle or a vehicle constructed or adapted to carry more than eight passengers).
If a vehicle is fitted with more than one defective tyre, you can be summonsed for each tyre which is illegal. Disqualification
is also possible in certain circumstances.
your car does not need a spare tire to pass the mot