What Is The Legal Minimum Tread Depth For My Tyres?
Someone prepared to endanger their life, the lives of others, incur fines and penalties as well as making an insurance policy invalid; does this sound like the sort of person you would want to get in to a car with? Neglecting your tyres runs the risk of all these scenarios becoming reality, but with a little more thought and care, you can avoid all of these by regularly running checks on your tyres to ensure they are in legal, safe and in line with all regulations.
UK vehicle laws state that all tyres on a vehicle need to adhere to the correct type and size in order to be legally compliant and roadworthy. Making sure your vehicle is acceptable to drive will keep you safe on the road but can also improve the overall driving performance, as your car will handle the road better in terms of grip and shorter braking distances.
The exact requirements
Across the width, your tyre tread should be at least 1.6mm around the entire circumference of the tyre. However, despite the legal minimum being 1.6mm, it is highly recommended that you replace the tyres before the tread gets this low. Ideally, tyres should be replaced when they reach 3mm. This is purely for safety reasons, as braking distances are greatly affected by a low tyre tread. For instance, a car travelling at 50mph in wet weather conditions, with a tyre tread of just 1.6mm, will take an extra car’s length to come to a complete stop, compared to if your tyres had a tread of 3mm.
You should also make sure that the different types of tyres are not fitted to opposite sides of the same axle. For instance, the two main types of tyres are Radical and Cross-ply and these should never be mixed on the same axle.
The consequences
The major penalty for not keeping your tyres in check is your safety. As well as putting your own safety and the safety of your passengers at risk, you also run the risk of being penalised with some hefty fines. Driving with defective tyres can cause fines of £2,500 and 3 penalty points on your license.
Your tyres must also:
- Be compliant with others fitted to the wheels of the vehicle.
- Show no signs of any lumps, bumps or tears within the structure of the tyre.
- If there are tears or cuts, they should be no more than 25mm or 10% of the width of the tyre, so they’re not deep enough to reach the cord or ply.
- They should not expose any part of the ply or cord.
Your responsibility
It is solely the owner of the vehicle’s responsibility to maintain the upkeep of all the tyres on the vehicle, ensuring they adhere to all legal requirements, including air pressure (follow your manufacturer’s guidelines) as well as the tread depth.
You should carry a spare tyre that adheres to the legal requirements, so in the case of an emergency, you do not have to worry about breaching any laws.
As the only point of contact with the road, your tyres go through a lot, so keeping them in good condition with regular checks and maintenance to make sure they are legal and safe is paramount. And now you know the legalities, you can make a start checking your vehicle or take it to your local garage for the professionals to take a look.
Auto Exhausts and Tyres
For quality tyres, repairs and replacements, Auto Exhausts and Tyres are there for you. Serving throughout Lincoln since 1983, our dedication makes us one of the leading garages in the area. For more information about our services, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team today.
