I have recently written to the Secretaries of State for Transport and Education, asking that they put their support behind the ‘Tyred’ campaign, which urges the Government to ban tyres older than 10 years from being used by coaches and mini-buses.

This follows the Coroner’s report on the passing of Michael Molloy (aged 18), Kerry Ogden (aged 23) and Colin Daulby (aged 63), when a coach bound for Liverpool from the Bestival Festival on the Isle of Wight crashed into a tree. The inquest from the crash found that the cause was a defective tyre, which turned out to be nineteen years old – older than the coach itself.

It is well known that tyres degrade with time, whether they have been used or not. They harden, become more susceptible to cracking, and may suffer serious deterioration in structural integrity, causing expected ‘blow outs’ and subsequently tragic accidents.

Despite the inquest, recommendation and substantial campaign from the transport industry and political leaders, there is no robust policy on tyre age and a significant lack of progress from the Government in enacting simple legislation that could prevent deaths.

I have written to Chris Grayling, the Secretary of State for Transport, urging him to bring forward this legislation and ban the use of tyres over ten years old from any Public Service Vehicle, and have written to Damian Hinds, the Secretary of State for Education, asking him to incorporate tyre safety into risk assessments for all educational establishments.

For more information on the Tyred campaign, visit their website at www.tyred.org.uk