Tyres are a major part of the safety of a vehicle. It is important to not only check that your tyres are sufficiently inflated every week but also that they do not have any damage on them and that there is plenty of tread left. The legal tread limit for tyres in the UK is 1.6mm in a continuous band around the central three quarters of the tyre. Tyre manufacturers often mould tread bars at 1.6mm (approximately) to allow you to gauge roughly how much tread you have left. You can buy a tool, relatively cheap, that will help you to determine your tread depth. If you are in any doubt you should take the vehicle to a garage or tyre fitter who will be able to check for you.
If your tyres are below 3mm then they probably could do with being changed. Many experts say that below 3 mm affects the driving style of the vehicle in terms of steering, cornering and braking. Having little or no tread left on your tyres can mean that you have no grip and you are then more likely to have an accident. Not only is it very dangerous to drive with illegal tyres on your vehicle but you can also pick up 6 points and a hefty find per tyre.
