Dr. Etienne Human, chief executive of the SATMC, said that the millions of worn-out used tyres fitted to vehicles around the country are responsible for between 14% and 25% of the nation’s road accidents.

“In South Africa, 11 million tyres are scrapped every year,” said Dr. Human, “and only 6% are recycled, so most of them are going back onto vehicles.” These used tyres typically have little or no tread and are often sold at the side of the road or in townships. The more serious cases of the resale of worn out tyres involves sticking mutilated tyres back together with superglue.

Dr. Human said that South African manufacturers had spent eight years petitioning the government to regulate the collection and recycling of used tyres.