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Drivers warned on tyre dangers

Everyone knows to examine tyre treads on a used car – but would you check the age of the rubber, too?

Tyre sidewall
Inspect production date on sidewalls

By Ross Pinnock

06th May 2007

Tyres have a service life of 10 years, but modern cars last longer than ever, so the risk of having out-of-date rubber has never been higher. All tyres have a production date on the sidewall, so check if they need replacing.

The code starts with the letters DOT and the last four digits identify the week and year of production; ‘4806’ (above) indicates a tyre made in the 48th week of 2006. Michelin advises five-year-old rubber is inspected each year, while non-profit organisation TyreSafe advises to check for sidewall cracks, as these indicate tyres that have been in use for a long time.

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