Tyre safety
Healthy tyres make for healthy travelling. The tread on your tyres effectively grips your car to the road. Having the correct amount of tread on your tyres, as well as balanced and aligned wheels, will help you drive safely.
It doesn't take much to keep your tyres in great shape. Here are a few tips on staying safe no four wheels:
Tyre tread safety
Cars, light vans and light trailers must have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the breath of the tread and around the entire circumference of the tyre.
Having sufficient tread on your tyres is vital during icy and wet weather, when driving conditions are at their most challenging.
- A few millimetres in tread can translate to a few extra meters in braking distance. A car with a tread of 1.6mm on its tyres will take an extra car’s length to stop at 50mph than if its tread was 3mm.
Many tyres have built in tread wear indicators that become exposed when you need to replace your tyres.
If you're uncertain about whether your tyres need replacing, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) has a useful tyre tread video guide showing you everything you should look out for.
A balanced set of wheels
Wheels that aren't balanced can produce a vibration that's uncomfortable to drive in and can result in the suspension of your tyres being worn out.
Balancing your tyres on your car will help to prevent your car from vibrating when it turns. You can get your tyres balanced at garages across the country.
Wheel alignment adjusts the angles of the wheels so that they are positioned correctly relative to the car's frame. This alignment maximises the life of your tyres and prevents your car from pulling to the left or right when driving on a straight, level road. These adjustments require special equipment and should be performed by a qualified technician.
