You might have the most expensive, fastest and best-handling car in the world, but it all means nothing if you can’t stop in time and want to avoid melding your shiny new Porsche 911 with the Peugeot in front. Having inadequate tread on your tyres is like trying to run in flop flops on an ice rink. Traction is the key and without it, you’re in a world of trouble
As a driver, you’re responsible for the condition of your tyres. You might not even own the car, but if you’re driving it, you’re responsible, and you don’t need fancy tools to check your tyres.
All you need is a 20 pence piece. The beauty of a 20p is that it has an outer ridge with a height set of 1.6 millimetres, which is the exact legal limit for a passenger vehicle tyre tread. If you put the 20p into the tread of the tyre and if you can see any part of the outer ridge poking above the tread, then your tyre tread is too low.
And if you don’t have a 20 pence piece, tyres come with a visual aid, and it’s a Tread Wear Indicator bar. A Tread Wear Indicator Bar is set to around about 2 millimetres and when it has worn down to be in line with the tyre tread, it’s time to replace your tyre.
What’s also important to remember is that we should be checking the tyre across the centre 75% of the tyre and not just in one place. Turn your steering on full lock so you can see more of the tyre and check it in three different places. So, check it on the outside edge, the inside edge, and across the centre part of the tyre. As is checking them for cracks, punctures, signs of being misshapen or uneven wear.
But don’t wait until your tyres are worn down to the minimum of 1.6 millimetres or even to your Wear Bar Indicators at 2 millimetres. As someone who’s been stranded on a hill trying to get traction in the snow on 2mm of tyre tread, I can assure you changing them nearer 3mm is a smart move indeed.
You could also get your tyres checked out at your local garage because this is the only part of contact with the road, and it really is for the safety not only of you, but all the other road users. Stay safe out there!
