What is the legal tyre depth
& when should I replace my tyre

 

Stay safe with Webuyurcar.co.uk

Driving with legal tyre depth is dangerous for yourself and other motorists. You can cause serious accidents, leading to high fines and penalty points, and you could lose your license. Find out here the legal tyre death and all you need to know.

Did you know that one of the most essential checks on your vehicle is checking your legal tyre tread depth. If your tyres are below the illegal tyre tread depth, you could be at risk of paying a £2500 fine and three penalty points per tyre too! Therefore, if you have four illegal tyre depths on your vehicle, you could be given a fine of £10,000 and 12 penalty points, which puts you at potential risk of losing your license.

Any claims to your insurance company will be invalidated if your tyres don't meet the legal standards.

Therefore, any repairs needed for any vehicles involved won't be covered, and you could have a costly pay-out. You can also be prosecuted for driving a vehicle that is in a dangerous condition.

It is also very dangerous for you and other motorists, as driving with illegal tyre death can cause road accidents. Such as a crash which could cause some severe injuries, as there are many hazards of driving with worn tyre depth which include:

-Longer stopping distance

-Less grip between the road and your tyres

-Less control of the vehicle in bad weather conditions

-More of a risk of aquaplaning

-Increased chance of punctures

Minimum tyre tread depth

The minimum legal tread depth of a tyre is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre; however, we recommend that you change your tyres before the tread depth gets to this level; we suggest a change before the tread wears near to 2mm especially when autumn and winter approach. Worn tyres are hazardous in the wet or snow, as they are designed to disperse water from where the tyre and road meet. So, when there is less tread depth, this can cause an increase in losing grip or aquaplaning, as there is less water being shifted.

Did you know?

Each tyre can shift one gallon of water in heavy rain every second.

Cause of tyre wearing

If your vehicle has good quality tyres, they should last you between 3-5 years. You should get around 20,000 miles out of your front tyres before they wear down and about 40,000 from your back tyres. However, many factors can cause your tyre tread depth to wear away, such as:

-Aggressive breaking

-High speeds

-Excess load in the vehicle

- Alignment

-Incorrect tyre pressure

Testing tread depth

There are a few types of different ways that you can test your tyre tread depth. Ensure that your tyres meet the legal minimum tread depth and that they are not worn.

Tread depth gauge (the best way)

Tyre gauges come in many forms, but we suggest you use a digital pressure gauge. As these are very easy to read from the digital screen, you will receive your reading in under three seconds. You can also check your tyres in several places with tyre gauges, which will notify the area of the worn tyre and help spot any early signs of uneven wear.

How to use- Line the gauge up over a groove in your tyre and push the centre between the tread. The digital screen will then show you how close you are to reaching the required minimum depth for your vehicle.

Tread wear indicators (the easiest way)

Tyre wear indicators are marks spaced evenly along the tread; from this, you can identify how much of the tread depth has worn down.

How to use- Ensure the engine is off and the handbrake is on; you are parked on a flat surface in an open space. Then locate the tyre tread wear indicators; these are small bars built into the tires' main grooves. This will inform you if you have reached the legal limit tread depth. If the tyre tread is level with the top of the wear indicator, your tyres have reached the legal limit of 1.6mm.

The 20p test

How to use-Make sure to have a 20p coin and place it into the tyre's tread grooves. If the outer rim of the coin is hard to see, then your tyre is above the legal minimum tread depth. If you can see part of the rim of the 20p coin, you will need a more efficient reading, which can be done in the two ways listed above.

Other legal tyre requirements

While carrying out tread depth tests, also ensure your tyre is fit for purpose. This means no structural damage to the vehicle, such as bumps, lumps, or bulges. Ensure that there are no tears in the tyre bigger than 25mm or any exposure of ply or cord.

 

Article posted on: 31 March 2023. Author: Megan

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