MOTORISTS in the North West are being warned to avoid buying part-worn tyres at all costs, or risk causing death on the roads.

The National Tyre Distributors Association is calling for a complete ban on the sale of part-worn tyres.

This comes after its new independent research showed almost two-thirds of motorists in the North West who admit to buying part-worn tyres do so because they are the cheapest option.

Association research also found in 2015 illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres were responsible for more than 40 per cent of all vehicle defect-related deaths in the UK.

Stefan Hay, chief executive of the association, said: “It’s incredibly alarming that so many motorists are choosing to purchase part-worn tyres because they are cheap, despite the distinct possibility that these could be illegal, putting themselves and other road users’ lives in grave danger.

"The current regulations are not working and we are seeing more and more illegal tyres being fitted to cars as drivers are swayed by cost alone."