Keep safe - check your tyre treads!

Today, 1st October, marks the beginning of Tyre Safety Month in the UK.

Your tyres are the only point of contact between your car and the road, a few centimetres of tyre rubber is all there is keeping you and your family from disaster.

Many motorists will put off tyre repairs to save on costs, but it is cheaper to replace worn or damaged tyres where necessary, rather than waiting to face a burst tyre and having to be towed off the motorway, or a potential £2,500 fine (per tyre).

The legal limit

The legal tyre tread depth limit in the UK and Europe is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, around the complete circumference of the tyre. Fines for failing this test are £2,500 per tyre.

But tests by MIRA suggest that by the time your tyre treads drop below 3mm, your stopping distance is already very badly affected, particular in wet weather in which the braking distance can be 44% longer at 1.6mm than at 3mm.

Worse, your risk of aquaplaning is also greatly increased.

How to check your tyre treads

If you don't have a tyre gauge, then a 20p coin can be used as an approximation. Simply place the coin into the main tread grooves of your tyre, if the outer band of coin is obscured then your tread is above the legal limit, but if you can still see some of the outer band, then your tyres may be illegal and should be checked by a tyre professional.

This check should be repeated at several locations around each tyre.

If you would like Trident Honda to check your tyre treads, then please follow the link below: