Your first motor vehicle and you are raring to go … but how safe are your tyres?

You might be interested to know that as at the end of September 2022, there were 40.8 million licensed vehicles in the UK. So, it follows that if most of these vehicles have at least 4 tyres fitted, then that’s over 160 million tyres all safely rolling along..!

But are your tyres safely rolling along and do you regularly check to ensure that they are legal?

Which parts of your tyre do you need to check?

It might seem obvious, but for tread depth you need to check that part of your tyre which actually comes into contact with the road surface.

Your tyres must have a minimum tread depth. (variable dependent on the class of vehicle you drive) For a family motor vehicle ‘tread-depth’ must be at least 1.6 millimetres throughout a continuous band across the centre three quarters of the tyre but also around the entire tyre circumference. It is also worth remembering that although there is no legal requirement to carry a spare tyre, if you do so, then your ‘spare tyre’ must also have a 1.6mm minimum ‘tread-depth’ and must not be defective.

To assist checking the tread depth there are tread wear indicators spaced evenly within the main grooves of the tyre’s tread. If the wear indicators are flush with the level of the tread, then the tyre must be replaced.

If taken to court for a defective tyre then your licence can be endorsed with 3 penalty points per tyre and you can be fined up to a maximum of £2500 for each defective tyre.

And don’t forget that if you are driving with defective tyres you might also unknowingly invalidate your motor-vehicle Insurance policy (have you checked the small print on your insurance policy, recently?)

In addition to tyre tread depth, your tyres must always be ‘fit for purpose’,... and this means being of the correct type and size for the vehicle; correctly inflated (as per the vehicle manufacturers recommendation) and free from damage such as cuts to the tyre or cracks or bulges on it.

Before any journey always be sure to check your tyres

‘Be Safe... Drive Safe’.

For specialist legal advice upon any motoring matter contact us on 01606 592159.