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09/12/2011
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A reporting mechanism for dangerous HGV wheels is likely to be established next year (2012), following a decision by Mike Penning MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, to meet industry experts.
 The commitment was made during a Westminster Hall debate on November 29, 2011, with Labour MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, Paul Goggins, who continues to lead the campaign on commercial vehicle wheel safety and the need for tighter regulation on second-hand wheels.
During the debate Goggins said: "The industry [is] prepared to put in place its own reporting mechanism, so that it could say to companies ... that if they had evidence of any wheel failure, they could report it through a specially designed industry reporting system, and it could be passed on to the Department for Transport."
And he continued: "There have recently been a number of presentations on the issue to important industry bodies. ATS-Euromaster has had a presentation, as have the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), the Northwest Automotive Alliance (NAA) and [a meeting is due to take place with] the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)."
During the latest debate three pieces of evidence were presented to Penning: a picture of a cracked HGV wheel; an article on failing counterfeits entitled 'Killer Wheels'; and a recent ITV News report on the damage caused to HGV wheels, due to the impact of potholes.
"I hope that the trade associations will do what they said they will do – that they will get the submissions together and come as a united body to present their evidence," said Penning.
"That will allow me to go away and ask why we have certain failure rates coming from all the different expert bodies mentioned in the speech that I have not used, and to compare that with what is happening on the front line," he added.
"A second meeting with the minister is a very important development and an invaluable opportunity to readdress concerns, including current VOSA test and roadside inspections, and then really move towards a workable solution," says John Ellis, managing director of Motor Wheel Service, who first raised the issue with Goggins.
"Over the past few months we have approached the major industry bodies to introduce the issue, and it is important to note that in addition to those already on-board we are in the process of finalising a meeting with the RHA [Road Haulage Association] and we are also in correspondence with the FTA [Freight Transport Association], Tyresafe and the IRTE [Institute of Road Transport Engineers]," he continues.
"During the course of the debate Mr. Penning said that he regularly met with the RHA and FTA and that representatives have not raised the issue. I will put to him that the lack of complaint supports our concerns by proving lack of awareness by company owners and drivers and reliance on tyre maintainers to resolve wheel problems which are subsequently never reported."
Motor Wheel Service estimates that over 10,000 second hand and take-off wheels entered the market in 2009, of which the vast majority were sold by companies that do not possess the technical abilities or examination procedures to ascertain the history and fatigue of a wheel.
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Author
Brian Tinham
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