Jun 8, 2020
When you have new tyres fitted to your car, they usually had a tread depth of around 8mm. However, as time goes on the rubber will start to wear down and will eventually reach a point when the tyre tread depth is no longer safe. In the UK, the minimum tyre tread depth is 1.6mm. But why is tyre tread depth so important?
Before we discuss why tyre tread depth is so important, you need to know how to keep tabs on your tyres to keep you safe on the road. One of the best ways to do this is with a 20p piece! Simply insert the 20p piece into the grooves at a few different points on your tyre. If you can see the outer band of the coin when you do this, your tyre tread doesn’t meet the 1.6mm legal minimum, so you need to have them changed ASAP.
Tyres also have tread wear indicators that are displayed on your tyres that are moulded into the main grooves, when your tread has worn down to the same level as the indicators, it has reached the legal minimum and need to be replaced ASAP.
As a car owner, you should be checking your tyre tread depth on a regular basis. You should do this at least once a month, especially if you’re getting close to the minimum.
When tyres have effective grip, this will significantly lower your stopping distances allowing you to be able to brake when you need to. This is especially important if you find yourself needing to perform an emergency stop. Despite the legal tyre tread minimum being 1.6mm, many professionals will recommend that you change at 3mm. In doing so, you keep your stopping distance as low as possible.
In the UK, it is the law to have a tyre tread depth of at least 1.6mm and if you’re caught driving with less than the legal minimum, you could get a fine of up to £2500 and three penalty points on your licence! This is per tyre too, so if you have all four tyres below the legal minimum, you could be facing a hefty fine.
Aquaplaning occurs when a layer of water builds up between the road surface and the wheels of a vehicle, causing a loss of traction that prevents effective braking and limits handling. The tread in tyres is carefully designed to help disperse water, and when tread is low their ability to do this is reduced.
If you need to have your tyres replaced, we can help! MyCarNeedsA.com is one of the easiest ways to get quotes from pre-approved garages and mechanics local to you. Get your quote today! www.mycarneedsa.com/get-a-quote/
