How To Make Sure Your Car’s Tyres Are Road Legal
Because the tyres are the only part of a car in contact with the road, they must be checked regularly to ensure that they are legal and roadworthy. At Motorcity Plymouth, we’ve created the following guide to break down what makes tyres legal and roadworthy and how you can check for yourself.
What makes your car’s tyres illegal?
Several things can contribute to tyres being classed as illegal.
For example:
Low tread depth
This is one of the most common reasons why tyres may be considered illegal. For a car tyre to be considered legal, it needs to have a depth of 1.6mm minimum.
Having the correct tyre tread allows you to have consistent control of the vehicle while driving. Any water or small debris on the road will be channelled through the tread.
While the legal requirement is 1.6mm, it would be beneficial to change tyres once the tread depth is 3mm to account for potholes and deep puddles.
Severe wear
If you do a lot of driving, then it’s likely that your tyres will wear down quickly. Excessive wear on the tyres can result in weak spots, leading to punctures and blowouts. This can be especially risky when driving at high speeds, so it’s best practice to check for signs of wear such as cracking, bulging or any damage to the sidewall.
Under or overinflated tyres
You’ll notice that your tyres look a little flat at some point. This will be because of air naturally escaping the tyres while you drive. All they need is inflating to the correct pressure for your vehicle.
Underinflated tyres mean you’ll have more contact with the road than necessary, which can affect the handling when driving around bends or at high speeds.
Overinflated tyres have the opposite effect; you won’t have enough contact with the road, resulting in tyres spinning or skidding when braking.
Tyres aren’t suitable for the vehicle
Typically, this isn’t a common issue, but if you decide to use tyres that aren’t acceptable for the vehicle in terms of load requirements or the max speed rating, they aren’t suitable.
A wrong tyre choice can affect the vehicle’s handling, which is why it would be considered illegal.
How to check your car’s tyre’s tread depth
There are two easy ways for you to check your tyre’s tread depth:
20p test
If you don’t have a tyre gauge to hand, a 20p will do just fine. All you need to do is put the coin into the tyre tread grooves, and if you see that the tread easily hides the outer rim of the 20p, then they are above the legal minimum tread depth.
However, if you can partially see the coin’s outer rim, you’re better off using a tyre gauge to get a more accurate reading.
Using a tyre gauge
With a tyre gauge, simply place it into the groove, showing you how close it is to the minimum tread depth.
When should you change your car tyres?
It’s better to change your tyres before autumn and winter if possible as weather conditions typically worsen, affecting road quality.
As mentioned above, check your tyres regularly and after long driving at high speeds.
Remember that the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, but it can be beneficial to change tyres once the tread depth is 3mm.