Tyre Warning

TyreSafe, a company that advises on tyre safety as is implied in the name have issued advice to motorists in the UK in regards to tyre tread depth. They have said that due to the consistently wet summers in the UK it’s important to have the adequate tyre tread depth to be able to have good traction on the wet summer roads. The depth of the tread is essential for gripping to wet roads as the pattern is designed to help displace water from the road surface. The stopping distance in wet weather can be double than if the road was dry putting extra emphasis on reliable tyres.

The outlook according to the met office for the rest of summers unfortunately is looking quite gloomy due to a weather pattern detected in the North Atlantic. UK legislation requires that your car has a minimum of 1.6mm of tread depth and those that fail to adhere could see a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points for each illegal tyre.

How can I check if my tyres are legal?
A good effective way to check if your tyres are over the legal limit is just put a 20p coin in the main grooves of the tread. If you can see the outer band of the 20p coin then your treads may not be sufficient depth and you should get them checked by a garage in order to avoid having points taken off your licence and being fined.

They take tread depth seriously here in the UK and anywhere else in the world for that matter, so don’t run the risk of being caught for having your treads warn down it’s an easy and for the most part inexpensive fix and it’s for your own safety after all and the safety of everyone else on the road.