Motorists have been warned they could be fined up to £10,000 if they fail to check their tires regularly.
But a simple trick with a 20 pence coin to check the key grooves of the tires will show you whether or not your vehicle is unsafe on the road and needs to be checked out by a mechanic.
The highway code states that drivers have a responsibility to check their vehicles and make sure they comply.
And UK law requires the tire profile to have a certain depth – depending on the type of vehicle you drive.
Having the correct thread depth means that the vehicle can safely grip the road to accelerate smoothly and also properly decelerate the car.
It is important that drivers regularly check the threads of their tires, this can easily be done at home with a 20 pence coin (File Image)
Car with bare tire due to wear and tear that needs to be replaced. If worn tires are not checked, they can become dangerous on the road, not only for the driver but also for other motorists
UK cars, vans and light trailers require tires to have a minimum thread depth of 1.6mm.
Meanwhile, for motorcycles, large vehicles and vehicles carrying passengers such as buses and coaches, they must have a depth of 1mm.
The highway code states: ‘Tires must be properly inflated according to the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications for the load being carried. Always refer to the manual or vehicle data.
“Tires should also be free of certain cuts and other defects.”
If the wheels are not the correct depth or are defective, motorists can be hit with a fine of £2,500 and three demerit points on their licences.
And if all four fail to comply with legal requirements, the driver will be slapped in the face with a whopping £10,000 fine.
They can also face 12 points added to their license.
Under current law, if you accumulate 12 points within a three-year period, you will be disqualified from driving under the “add-up” procedure. And any new driver who accumulates six points within the first two years of passing their test will have their license revoked.
Therefore, it is important that drivers regularly check their threads, and this can be easily done at home.
If the words “twenty pence” are not visible during the DIY test, the vehicle should be taken to the mechanic as soon as possible and professionally inspected (File Image)
All you need to do is place a 20 pence coin in the key grooves of the tyre.
If the engraved words ‘twenty pence’ are not visible when you do this, the tire has sufficient thread depth and can be used on the road.
If not, however, it should be taken to the mechanic as soon as possible and professionally inspected.
If left unchecked, worn tires can become dangerous on the road, not only for the driver, but also for other motorists.
The RAC suggests drivers take the 20p test about every two weeks and before long journeys.
It should be noted that some tires have indicators embossed on the tire wall itself, usually with a line or arrow located somewhere below the outer tread. If the tire is equal to that, it is below the legal limit and should be replaced.
This is because your tires are the vital connection between the vehicle and the ground and the tread grips the road as you drive.
But if they are not deep enough, the car can lose traction and experience longer braking times.
Shallow grooves are also particularly dangerous when the road is wet, as a tire’s tread helps to wick water away from the contact patch between the tire and the road.
With less tread depth, less water can be displaced, increasing the risk of aquaplaning and loss of grip.
This comes after it became known that brakes and tires are the most common ‘dangerous defects’ that prevent cars from passing the MOT.
According to the RAC, the latest data show that every year about 7.3 million vehicles on our roads fail their MOT, although about 2.4 million of these are cars and vans with dangerous problems, most of them related to the brakes and tires .
While brake failures were by far the most common type of failure – with a total of 750 casualties in 2021 and one of the causes of 10 fatalities – tires were the second most common failure associated with accidents and were among the contributing factors in 491 injuries.
And worn and under-inflated tires were most often linked to vehicle breakdown and the cause of road death, with 12 people needlessly killed in collisions with vehicles using worn-out or illegal rubber.
The report comes days after the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) said the Department for Transport’s plans to delay the first MOT tests from year three to fourth and then hold its annual test biennial would lead to an increase in the number of electric vehicles on the road with dangerously damaged and worn tires.
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on it, we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money and use it for free. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to compromise our editorial independence.