What’s the importance of having the correct tyre tread?
Your car’s tyres are the only part of the vehicle that makes any contact with the actual road surface. They play an essential role in the handling and safety of the vehicle. As this is the case, it’s essential that you know how to check your tyres for any defects or general wear and tear.
Follow this quick guide below to develop an understanding of the legal requirements about your tyres tread depth.
What is the minimum legal depth for your car tyres?
The minimum legal depth of your tyre’s tread is 1.6 millimetres, across the central ¾ which is 75% of the tread around the entire circumference of the tyre. If your tyres tread depth is between 1.6 and 3mm, then it should be time to start thinking about getting a new set of tyres for your car. For safety reasons, it is highly recommended that you get your tyres replaced before the legal limit is reached. Many vehicle manufacturers recommend replacing at 3mm. Better safe than sorry as they say!
How do I measure my car tyres tread depth?
A fast visual check of your tread depth can be made by merely looking at the wear indicators which you will find in the grooves of the tyres tread pattern. However, a more precise and reliable way is to use a tread depth measuring gauge. It is compact enough to store in your glovebox and will give you an accurate measurement of the tread depth of your tyres.
The simple 20p tyre test –
Start by inserting a 20p coin into the lowest tread depth of your tyres. Should you not see the outer rim around the edge of the 20p coin, then your tyre is safe and legal and has a minimum of 3mm tread depth left. If you CAN see the rim of the 20p, then your tyre tread is less than 3mm, and you should start thinking about changing them.
How often should I need to check my tyre pressures?
Sadly as most of us are aware the UK gets its fair share of terrible weather, so the best option is to change your car tyres when the depth gets down to 3mm. Ideally, you should check your tyre’s tread depth and pressure’s weekly, or at least once a month. Correct and safe tyre treads are critical especially when travelling on long journeys.
