Other sections in this guide
- Overview
- Car tyre wear and tear
- Car tyre safety
- Check your spare tyre
Servicing and maintenance Car tyre safety
Car tyres for safe driving
Tyres must have tread at least 1.6mm deep
Check your car tyre tread
Many people wait until they are preparing for the MOT or worse, they fail it or have a blowout before changing their tyres. By law, you must have a minimum of 1.6mm of tread in a continuous band across three-quarters of the tread width and around the whole circumference of your car tyres.
However, the performance of car tyres will deteriorate well before the legal minimum depth is reached, particularly in wet weather. This is because the volume of the shallower tread grooves will be severely reduced and will be correspondingly less capable of dispersing the surface water from between the tyre and road.
Don't simply rely on the garage servicing or MOT'ing your car to tell you you need new tyres. You should monitor wear and start considering new tyres at the point where the tread depth reaches 3mm. Ideally, buy new car tyre before it reaches 2mm.
Front and rear car tyres
The ‘driven’ wheels (as in front- or rear-wheel drive) do most of the work. So these sets of car tyres tend to wear out more quickly.
To make a set of car tyres last longer, you can ask your garage to swap the front and back ones over periodically – but it’s important to check the recommendations in your car’s handbook.
Also, work out any difference in price between the cost of doing this and buying replacement car tyres instead.
Always fit the grippiest (usually the newest) to the rear axle. You may not notice the difference under normal low speed driving, but your car's handling will be severely upset, should you find yourself in an emergency braking situation and your rear wheels begin to skid before the front ones. If this happens, you are likely to find yourself in a full spin, with the car out of control.
Uneven car tyre wear
A mis-aligned suspension can lead to uneven car tyre wear. If you notice your car pulling to one side or excessive wear to the inner or outer shoulders of the tyre, ask a tyre dealer to check your car’s alignment (this is also sometimes called tracking).
An unbalanced wheel creates vibration through the steering wheel and can cause irregular wear in the tread, as well as discomfort to the driver.
Get the wheels balanced whenever you have a tyre fitted, or if you notice any unusual vibration. Some tyre fitters include balancing in the price of the tyre.
Repairing damaged car tyres
Some damage to car tyres cannot be repaired. For example, a puncture on or near a tyre sidewall can’t be fixed.
But minor damage can usually be repaired and is considerably cheaper than buying a brand new car tyre.
Get expert advice on your car tyres
If you’re in any doubt about the safety or condition of your car tyres, ask an expert to inspect them. You can find more advice and information from the tyre industry's safety body, Tyresafe.
The Which? guide to the best car tyres can help you decide which tyres to consider and which to avoid.
