Are Your Car’s Tyres Legal?

If you drive your car with tyres that are worn out or damaged, you are putting yourself at risk of being hit with a hefty fine. Along with that, you’re also at risk of invalidating your car insurance policy, and driving with tyres that are not up to legal standards can also pose a huge danger to both you and other road users. According to the law, tyres on a motor vehicle must be fit for purpose, and not have any defects which could pose a risk to the driver of the vehicle or other road users. Your car’s tyres should also be inflated according to both the vehicle and the tyre manufacturers’ guidelines.

Fit for Purpose: What Does It Mean?

The phrase ‘fit for purpose’ is quite broad, and in some cases drivers can take it to mean a range of different things. Most of the time, simply using common sense when choosing new tyres for your car, checking your tyres and inflating them will be enough to make sure that you are within the confines of the law. Specifically, ‘fit for purpose’ means that any tyre on your vehicle should be compatible with the other tyres, and must not have any bulges, lumps or tears in them. If any tyre on your vehicle has a tear which is larger than 25mm or deep enough to reach the ply or cord, it should be replaced immediately –

Maintaining Your Tyres

All vehicle owners are legally required to maintain and upkeep their tyres to keep them in good working order and ensure that they meet legal guidelines. The tread depth should never fall below the legal minimum, which is at least 1.6mm throughout a continuous band in the centre of three-quarters of the tread and around the whole circumference of the tyre in a regular passenger car. Tyres should always be kept inflated to the pressure which is recommended by both the car manufacturer and the tyre manufacturer. If you need to purchase a new tyre for your car, you will need to choose one which has a similar recommended pressure to that of your car’s make and model.

Spare Tyres

It is not a legal requirement to carry a spare tyre for your car, however doing so can be a strategy that comes in handy. If you have a spare tyre stowed away in your car, it does not have to meet the legal requirements. However, when fitted to the vehicle it must be in compliance with the law, therefore if you do choose to carry a spare tyre in your car it is essential to ensure that if used, you will not be breaking the law. In general, a spare tyre will not be tested during an MOT, however most mechanics will point out any issues that may put you at risk of driving with an illegal tyre should you have to use it in the future.

Driving with damaged tyres is both dangerous and illegal – check yours today!