Is a spare tyre compulsory?

BigEejit

I was just checking up on whether it is a legal requirement to have a spare tyre in every car that can carry one (or even every car made in the last 5 years).

My brother had a puncture in a rented Sixt ford c-max and found that there was no tyre in the tyre slot in the boot, just a compressor and a tin of that stuff that pumps up the tyre temporarily (fitted in a circular foam jobby that is the right size for a tyre).

I checked this forum and the search engine defeated me with no results, google turned up the following site: http://www.ncts.ie/news.html which has the following:

Having satisfied these requirements and booked a test, please ensure that the following are complete:

1. Be aware of the location of the chassis number on the vehicle.
2. A standard roadworthy spare wheel must be in place.
3. Equipment for raising the vehicle (jack, wheel brace etc.) must be in the vehicle.
4. The vehicle should have a toolkit.
5. The tyre pressure must be in accordance with manufacturer's specification.
6. Hub caps should be removed (only in the case where the wheel nuts are not visible).

So it is compulsory to have one for the NCT, but is it compulsory to have one?

I am checking the rules of the road now but on dialup so its taking ages to download from the department of transport, its a pdf. Anyone have a link to information on this?

Oh, and I forgot to mention that sixt had ticked the box in the rental agreement saying that the spare was present and checked, sneaky, lazy or stupid of them, I'll let you decide.

Carawaystick

I thought beamers came with run flat tyres and no spare. volvo c30 same only maybe not run flats

Surely the title should be spare wheel. changing a tyre on the side of a road isn't a great idea....

JHMEG

NCT test manual is on the same site. No mention of a spare being compulsory. Many new cars don't have them these days.

Run_to_da_hills

You would want to be a right idiot to drive anywhere without a spare wheel. A compressor or can of tire weld is fe*ck all good if you have a blow out. Drive 2 miles on a flat and your rim is destroyed. If you took a rented car without checking for the spare you could be liable for it if it came back with none.

Wishbone Ash

It's not a statutory requirement in a private car but is in a PSV.

Wishbone Ash

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

You would want to be a right idiot to drive anywhere without a spare wheel

Haven't you heard of Run Flat tyres?

JHMEG

Run-flat tyres aren't standard on most vehicles but roadside assistance is standard on nearly every insurance policy.

BigEejit

NCT test manual is on the same site. No mention of a spare being compulsory. Many new cars don't have them these days.

Crap, same site giving two opposing pieces of information.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It's not a statutory requirement in a private car but is in a PSV.

Can you provide a link to that?


Still havent been able to download the rules of the road
http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/8342-0.pdf

Anyone able to open that? it keeps failing on me......

Run_to_da_hills

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Haven't you heard of Run Flat tyres?

They wouldn't look period on my van. :P

Wishbone Ash

BigEejit wrote: »

So it is compulsory to have one for the NCT, but is it compulsory to have one?

The bit you quoted above is for taxis, hackneys, limmos etc. - not for private cars.

DannyBuoy

BigEejit wrote: »

Crap, same site giving two opposing pieces of information.

As wishbone mentioned its because the info is for 2 different tests, for a private car no spare wheel etc is reqd, but for a psv it is (nct do psv tests aswell as private tests).

Beat me to it Wishbone

Wishbone Ash

BigEejit wrote: »

Can you provide a link to that?

No but i have the NCT manual in front of me. The only thing they check is those spare wheel carriers which are under the boot to ensure that the wheel in it is secure.

There is no requirement to have a spare wheel. If there was, many of the Beamers would have to be recalled.

BigEejit

thanks for all the information, I'll pass it on .....my brother will go mental with Sixt tomorrow to see if they will pick up the tab (they had ticked the box saying the spare was checked after all)

artic

Bmw's and some mini's and the Megane Grand Scenic have no spare tyre,

deRanged

new mazda6's also just come with a compressor and a can of tyre weld.

Zube

deRanged wrote: »

new mazda6's also just come with a compressor and a can of tyre weld.

Ford S-Max too: no spare, no run-flats.

So you won't see them in Taxi ranks.

JHMEG

Any manufacturer that doesn't supply a spare as standard usually supplies one as an option.

Zube

JHMEG wrote: »

Any manufacturer that doesn't supply a spare as standard usually supplies one as an option.

There's nowhere to put a spare in an S-Max except loose in the boot.