How to make sure your tyres are safe

It's important to regularly check that your tyres are legal and in good condition to ensure the safety of you and other road users. Tyre safety checks include tread depth, tyre pressure, and general wear and tear.

Checking tyre tread depth

The most important part of your tyres to check is the tread depth. Legally, your tyres must have a tread depth of 1.6mm across the centre three-quarters of the tyre, although it’s recommended to change your tyres at 3mm. Research shows that once a tyre reaches 3mm, its condition deteriorates much quicker and stopping distances increase dramatically.

To check your tread depth, any garage will be able to measure this for you with a gauge. You can also test it at home with a 20p. If the outer rim of the 20p coin is visible when placed in the tread groove, your tread depth is below 1.6mm and therefore illegal.

Tyres rely on the treads to be able to shift water out of the way, so as the weather gets wetter, it’s important to ensure you have a safe tyre tread depth.

Tyre pressure 

If your tyres are underinflated or overinflated, the handling and grip of your tyres will worsen, which can cause unpredictable and dangerous car behaviour.

Underinflated tyres are also more likely to deflate suddenly, and can suffer from premature wear on the outer edges, which can cause damage to your rims. Overinflated tyres give a reduced area of contact with the road, which will wear the tread depth quicker and give you less grip on the road.

Make sure your tyres are inflated to the correct PSI provided in your vehicle handbook or on your driver’s door sill.

General wear and tear

It’s important to regularly check the condition of your tyres, looking for bulges or rips in the outer wall and any stones or nails stuck in the tyre. Make sure your tyres are in good condition will reduce running costs and increase the tyre life.

Don’t forget to book your car in with our Tangelo Auto Centres in Exeter and Plymouth for all your tyre safety needs.