Toyota Auris, no spare wheel

Same with my car (7 seater VW Touran)

I let you know when I have a puncture. ;-)

Like you, I've had the odd slow puncture but the pump has always got me to a tyre depot.

I worried at first when I got my car but I rationalised that carrying that amount of weight around all the time just doesn't make sense in this day and age. It's a bit like carrying an umbrella *every* day, just in case it rains. Of course, the inconvenience of a puncture is far greater than just getting wet but I think not having a spare encourages one to keep a closer eye on tyre wear and encourages earlier replacement (which is good for safety if not for the planet).

Tim

is a spare not a legal requirement any more?

NT

NT gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It's as much a legal requirement now as it ever was. It's also just as MOT-testable now as it ever was.

Not having a spare is no problem as long as (a) you have a can of gunge for "normal" punctures, or (b) you're a member of a breakdown service for those times when the sidewall gets sliced or other big problems. We had a Smart car for 4 years (they don't have a spare) and now I've got a car that's been converted to run on LPG so there's a 70-litre toroidal gas tank sitting in the spare wheel well instead of the spare wheel.

The only times I've had to change a wheel due to a puncture it's been because of the severity of the puncture - either a tear in the sidewall or a significant puncture ( such as when the power steering pump fell apart on a Peugeot and I ran over the shaft! ). I wouldn't drive on such tyres even after they'd been filled with foam. Any other puncture I've had has been of the slow variety - fixable at leisure.

If I were that worried about the cost of carrying the weight of a spare around I think I'd rather have one, and opt for never filling the fuel tank over half full.

Regards,

Not specifically mentioned here (Northern Ireland, which, oddly, has a different MOT regime):

Jon C.

I don't think it's ever been a legal requirement. It's not now:

Guy

-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Guy Dawson I.T. Manager Crossflight Ltd snipped-for-privacy@crossflight.co.uk

It's only testable if it's there. Not a fail not having one.

Yes, I think I remember there being advice (at least man-in-the-pub advice) to remove bald-tyred spares before an MOT.

Jon C.

Was it ever?

All of this is useless when you hit a pothole and buckle two wheels and split two tyres completely..

Jonathan Campbell gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Don't worry - it's the same with the MOT over here, too.

Guy Dawson gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Nope. You can have as many bald old tyres in your boot as you wish.

'course, if ever you have to USE the spare, it's gotta be legal the second it hits the road...

"Dave Plowman (News)" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Even if you've got a boot full of old bald tyres, it's not testable.

I would not like a flat tyre on a bank holiday monday in the lakes late at night on the way home. The same applies to run flats as to tube of gunge. Have a flat late at night and you will have a problem driving home if its a long distance. Also run flats are not much cop if the side wall splits.At least with a spare, even a space saver, which are no good for long distances either or speed you can usually continue your journey.

You could fill the spare with Helium :-)

Adam

Spare tyres seem to encourage some people to keep 20% of their tyres illegal.

"Stick the bald one in the boot, it'll do in an emergency" seems a common saying.

The spare on my van is brand new as is the spare spare I keep in the shed (the spare spare is there so that if I get a puncture I can put a working spare back on the van when I get home at night and drop the punctured tyre off somewhere for repair and not waste time waiting)

Adam Adam

Last flat I had was on a rental van. I picked it up - an hour late because the local scrotes had let the tyres down. Apparently. 50 miles later on the motorway strange noise from the back so I pulled over. Tyre in three parts - tread and two walls. That's an hour from a "professional repair", and well beyond anything you could do with a pump and canister.

Andy

My Honda Accord has the same, might be OK if you pick up a nail and get a slow puncture, but didn't help me a jot when I had a puncture on the M1, where by the time you've pulled gently over to the hard shoulder all you've got left is a smoking shell of a tyre no amount of gunge will help - the car's warranty did include recovery to the nearest garage with a suitable tyre in stock.