One of the most important safety checks that a driver must do is check the tread depth of their tires. Tread depth affects how tires grip the road, especially in wet conditions. Many drivers do not check their tire tread depth often enough to realize it has become low.
According to the law in the United Kingdom, the minimum tread depth allowed is 1.6 millimetres for the entire circumference of the tyre along the central three-quarters. It’s not only illegal to drive with tyres below this limit; it’s also dangerous. Each tyre can result in fines and penalty points.
Most safety experts and manufacturers of tyres recommend replacing tyres before the legal minimums are reached. Studies indicate that stopping distances increase significantly in wet conditions once tread depth is below 3mm. Therefore, it is reasonable to treat that as your personal minimum.
You don’t need anything special to check your tread depth. A quick way to check your tyres is to do a 20p coin test. This is done by inserting the coin into the main grooves of the tyre. If you can see the outer rim of the coin, the tread may be getting close to, or underneath, the legal limit and is due to be checked by a professional.
While checking tread depth, make sure to check in different locations on each tire, not just one spot. If wear is uneven, one area on the tire could have significantly less tread than another. This can happen when tire pressure is too high or too low, when wheels are out of alignment, or when suspension parts are worn.
Under certain weather conditions, the depth of the tread on your tires becomes even more crucial. Rain is commonplace when driving in the UK. If your tires are worn, they will more easily lose traction and suffer from aquaplaning, where a layer of water forms between the tire and the road. This creates a sudden , dangerous loss of grip.
Checking the tread on your tires is quick and easy, but doing so can help improve your safety on the road and help improve your cars performance on wet roads. If you’re unsure, it’s always best to get your tires checked by a professional.