The Law
The legal requirement for the condition of car tyres is outlined in The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 as follows:
“A wheeled motor vehicle or trailer wheel of which is fitted with a pneumatic tyre shall not be used on a road, if-
The grooves of the tread pattern of the tyre do not have a depth of at least 1 mm throughout a continuous band measuring at least three-quarters of the breadth of the tread and round the entire outer circumference of the tyre; or
If the grooves of the original tread pattern of the tyre did not extend beyond three-quarters of the breadth of the tread, any groove which showed in the original tread pattern does not have a depth of at least 1 mm.”The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986
Although many motorists may not think too much about this during summer months, checking your tyre tread depth is crucial as the penalty for having one dangerous or defective tyre is a fine of up to £2,500.00 and 3 points on your licence. However, this is the penalty PER TYRE. Therefore if you were to have 4 illegal tyres this would lead to a total maximum set of fines of £10,000.00 and 12 points on your licence! Clearly, this is a big price to pay in comparison to the small price of a new tyre. Think of all the things you could buy with £10,000.00…
How to check your tread depth
Technology is continuously changing and evolving most tyres now have tread wear indicators. These are 5mm bars across the base of the tyre when the tyre tread becomes level with the indicator this is a warning that you need to replace the tyre.
However, if your tyres do not have tread wear indicators, then checking the tread depth of your tyres can be simple and easy using the 20p test. This involves using a 20p and insert it into the tread grooves on your tyre if you can see the outer band on the coin then your tyres are above the legal limit. It is suggested that this test should be conducted every two weeks and before long journeys.
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