To ensure tyre safety, regularly inspect your tyres for visible damage, such as cuts, cracks, or uneven wear patterns. Check the tyre pressure using a gauge, ensuring it matches your vehicle's recommended specifications. Look for bulges or blisters on the sidewalls, which can indicate structural weaknesses. Also, check the age of your tyres using the DOT code; they should generally be replaced every six to ten years. Lastly, rotate your tyres regularly to promote even wear and address any alignment or balance issues promptly for a safe driving experience.
Simply place a 20p coin into the main tread grooves of your tyre. If the outer band of the 20p coin is obscured when it is inserted, then your tread is above the legal limit. If the outer band of the coin is visible, then your tyres may be illegal and unsafe and should be checked immediately by a qualified tyre professional.
When taking the test, remember to check at least three locations around each tyre. As the test is so quick and easy, stay safe by checking your tyres at least once a month.
To stay safe on the road your car needs to have the correct tyre pressure. If the tyres are under or over inflated then handling and grip will worsen, potentially causing irregular or unpredictable car behaviour.
Over-inflation and under-inflation of tyres can significantly affect vehicle safety and performance. Over-inflation leads to uneven wear, particularly in the center of the tread, and can increase the risk of blowouts, resulting in a harsher ride. In contrast, under-inflation causes excessive wear on the outer edges, reduces fuel efficiency, and raises the likelihood of overheating and blowouts. Regularly checking and maintaining the proper tyre pressure is essential for optimal handling, safety, and tyre longevity. Always refer to your vehicle’s specifications for the recommended pressure
To find your tyre pressure, start by checking your vehicle's owner’s manual or the tyre information placard located on the driver’s side door jamb, which will list the recommended PSI. Next, use a tyre pressure gauge by removing the valve cap from a tyre and pressing the gauge onto the valve stem to get a reading. For accuracy, check the pressure when the tyres are cold, ideally before driving or after they've been parked for a few hours. Adjust the pressure as needed to match the recommended level for optimal safety and performance.
Tyre treads are designed to keep the tyre in contact with the road in wet weather. Typically, the deeper the tread, the more water a tyre can clear from the road surface helping to maintain a good grip. As such, as a tyre’s tread pattern wears down or as the depth of water increases less grip is provided. Drivers should take this into consideration and reduce their speed accordingly in wet conditions. It is important to regularly check the tread depth of your car tyres to ensure that they’re well above the legal minimum. Driving with tyres below this limit is not only a safety hazard but also puts you at risk of incurring a fine of £2,500 and three penalty points per tyre. Ideally, you should check your car tyres every month.
The legal minimum tread depth for cars in the UK is 1.6mm, however, you should not risk waiting to replace them until the last minute as a significant amount of tread can be worn in just one emergency manoeuvre. It is advisable to have your tyre replaced once it reaches 2mm however most experts recommend replacing your tyres when they have a minimum of 3mm tread depth. Your car tyre tread should meet the minimum legal tread depth across three quarters of the centre of the tyre around its complete circumference.
Without adequate tread depth, your tyres may not be able to perform properly in wet conditions, reducing your safety on the road. In wet weather, tyre tread grooves help to remove water from the contact patch between your tyres and the road surface meaning your car can brake, steer and accelerate properly. Failing to have the minimum legal tread depth for a car or other vehicle puts you at a huge risk of accidents. In tests carried out by MIRA, the difference in wet braking distances for cars with 3mm of tyre tread and 1.6mm of tyre tread increased by up to 44%. It is therefore advisable to consider replacing your tyres well before they reach the legal minimum.
When driving on roads with significant standing water, vehicles can be vulnerable to ‘aquaplaning’. Aquaplaning occurs when the water cannot be removed from between the tyre and the road. This causes the vehicle to lose all contact with the road, which effectively leaves the vehicle out of control. The risk of aquaplaning increases as a tyre’s tread depth is reduced as there is an insufficient tread to clear the water properly from the road surface.
Lack of contact with the road means you are unable to accelerate or steer effectively, greatly increasing your risk of being involved in an accident. It is also unsafe to try to brake when aquaplaning as contact with the road may be regained in an unpredictable manner, causing the vehicle to spin uncontrollably. To reduce your risk of aquaplaning, check your tyre tread depth regularly.