Understanding Legal Tyre Depths for Your Car
When it comes to taking care of our cars, one thing that often gets overlooked is the state of our tyres. We rely on them to get us where we need to go safely and efficiently so it’s vital we keep them well-maintained. One important aspect that drivers need to pay attention to is the legal depth of their tyres.
What Is Legal Tyre Depth?
In the UK, the legal limit for tyre depth is 1.6mm. This is measured across the main part of the tyre as well as the outer edges. It’s important to realise that this depth is the minimum requirement for legal use, meaning having just the bare minimum depth can result in insufficient grip and control on the road.
Why Is Legal Tyre Depth So Important?
There are a few reasons why maintaining the legal depth of your car’s tyres is so crucial. First and foremost, it affects your car’s grip on the road. Tyres with low tread depth cannot grip the road effectively, particularly in wet weather conditions. This significantly reduces your vehicle’s handling and increases the risk of accidents.
Not only that, but driving on legally bald tyres can lead to hefty fines, points on your driving licence and even invalidate your insurance if you are involved in an accident.
Checking Your Tyres
If you’re not sure how to check the depth of your tyres, it’s a simple process you can do at home. There are a range of depth gauges you can purchase to help measure your tyre depth, or you can even use a 20p coin. Insert the coin into the grooves of your tyre and if you can see the outer gold rim of the coin, then your tyre has less than the minimum legal depth and you should have it replaced.
A&P Motorcare in Chorley for Tyre Fitting
Maintaining legal tyre depth is vital for your and other’s safety on the road. If you find that your tyres need replacing, it’s important speak to A&P Motorcare to ensure you’re getting the right type of tyre, the right size and we will look to fit them correctly. A&P Motorcare in Chorley have a strong reputation and good reviews from all our customers.
Taking care of your tyres is essential for safe driving. Maintaining legal tyre depths and replacing your tyres when necessary is not only beneficial for your own safety but it’s also a legal requirement. So make sure to check your tyre depth regularly and choose a reliable tyre fitting garage when you need to replace your tyres.
