Tread depth affects everything from braking to your insurance cover and it’s easy to check yourself.
The law states you must have 1.6mm across the central 3/4 of the tread with visible tread on the remainder, remember if stopped by the Police it is 3 points for each illegal tyre plus a hefty fine. WeDo Tyres recommends that tyres should be replaced at 2mm minimum.
If you are involved in an accident and your tyres are found to be below the legal limit, your insurer can refuse to pay out, leaving you liable for any damages.
The 20p test Insert a 20p coin into the tread groove. If the outer band of the coin is visible when inserted, your tread may be below the legal limit. Check in at least three places around each tyre, as wear is often uneven.
Tread wear indicators Most tyres have small bars moulded into the base of the main grooves. Once the tread surface wears level with these indicators, the tyre is at or approaching the legal limit.
A tread depth gauge The most accurate method and available cheaply from any motor factors. Worth keeping in the glovebox if you cover high mileage.
Tread depth isn’t the only thing that matters. Check the sidewalls of each tyre regularly for cuts, bulges or cracking. If your tyres are old, the rubber deteriorates and cracking can appear on the sidewall or within the tread itself. At that point the tyre needs replacing regardless of tread depth.
A bulge in the sidewall indicates internal structural damage and the tyre should be replaced immediately.
Part worn tyres might look like a way to save money but the risks are real. A TyreSafe investigation found that over 63% of part-worn tyres inspected by them were not safe for the road.
Defects include illegal tread depth, sidewall damage, previous repairs in unsafe areas, exposed cords, and serious age-related cracking. In many cases tyres have not been pressure-tested or internally inspected before being put up for sale.
It can be impossible to determine if any internal damage exists and the safety of the tyre has been compromised.
We have been out to many people at roadside that have suffered blow outs after fitting a part worn tyre.
We stock a range of budget tyres from reputable manufacturers that come with the full depth of tread, a known history, and a manufacturer’s guarantee.
You are much better to buy a new budget tyre which is quite often not much more expensive than a part worn tyre and much safer.
Many drivers don’t realise their TPMS sensors have a lifespan, or that a failed one means an automatic MOT failure.
TPMS is a safety system fitted to all new cars and vans sold in the UK since November 2014. It uses sensors on each wheel to monitor tyre pressure and alert you via a dashboard warning light if a tyre drops significantly below its recommended pressure.
If the warning light comes on, don’t ignore it. It means one or more tyres needs attention, either because pressure has dropped or because there is a fault with the sensor itself.
TPMS sensors run on batteries. Those batteries are not replaceable separately, when the battery dies, the entire sensor needs to be replaced. Sensors typically last between five and ten years, but higher mileage vehicles will see them fail sooner.
