This October, TyreSafe , is highlighting the dangers of driving on tyres which have insufficient tread depth, making them both illegal and dangerous.
Check your tread
Checking the tread depth of your tyres may be a lot easier than you think. Inserting a 20p coin into the main tread grooves of your tyres gives you a good indication of whether your tyres have sufficient tread depth.
If the outer band of the 20p coin is visible when inserted into the tread, your tyres may be illegal and you should have them checked by a qualified tyre specialist.
If the outer band is not visible on the coin, then your tyres have a tread depth well above the legal limit.
Are your tyres legal?
The legal limit for car tyres is 1.6mm over the central three quarters of the tyre and visible tread over the rest.
Motorcycles must have 1.0 mm.
You can look at your tyres for the tread wear indicators which are located between the tread patterns or you can buy a depth gauge for more accurate checking.
If you have an irregular tread wear pattern this may indicate another problem with your vehicle, which could be suspension or tracking problems.
The fine for having illegal tyres is 3 penalty points and a fine up to a maximum of £2500 per tyre !
Check your pressure
How often do you check your tyre pressures - do you know how to and what pressure they should be at?
Here's some handy tips
1. Find the correct pressure for your vehicle in the handbook, or sometimes on a sticker on the door stay.
2. Always check tyre pressures with the tyres cold.
3. Don't forget about the spare - The space saver wheel usually has a much higher pressure than the normal road wheel. Some modern vehicles may only have a compressor or tyre weld. Is it out of date and does the compressor work - check it!
4. Check your pressures at least once a month.
Safe tyres saves money
Having tyres that are not at the correct pressure can mean you vehicle will use more fuel. A 25% reduction in tyre pressure can mean a 2% increase in fuel use. That can be an extra tank of fuel per year.