How Safe & Legal Are Your Tyres?

tyres

How Safe & Legal Are Your Tyres?

According to gov.uk it is your responsibility to make sure your vehicle is always safe to drive (‘roadworthy’). It can be unsafe even if you have a current MOT certificate.

You can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and get 3 penalty points for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

Checks You Should Carry Out

Every time you drive you should check:

  • The windscreen, windows and mirrors are clean
  • All lights work
  • The brakes work

Your vehicle’s handbook will tell you how often to check the:

  • Engine oil
  • Water level in the radiator or expansion tank
  • Brake fluid level
  • Battery
  • Windscreen and rear window washer bottles – top up with windscreen washer fluid if necessary
  • Tyres – they must have the correct tread depth and be free of cuts and defects

The handbook will also tell you when your vehicle needs to be serviced.

Tyre Tread

Tread must be a certain depth depending on the type of vehicle:

  • Cars, light vans and light trailers – 1.6 millimetres (mm)
  • Motorcycles, large vehicles and passenger-carrying vehicles – 1mm
  • Mopeds only need to have visible tread
  • There must be tread across the middle three-quarters and around the entire tyre

How to check your car tyre tread depth

The 20p test is a simple, quick and easy way of checking the tyre tread of your car’s wheels. Just take a 20p coin and insert it into the tread grooves on the tyre. If you can’t see the outer band on the coin, your tyres are above the legal limit. However, if you can see the band and that section of the coin is still visible, your tyres could be unsafe and require professional inspection by a mechanic. We suggest drivers conduct the 20p test around every two weeks and before long journeys.

Free Tyre Check at Autofit Garage Chorley

If you would like us to check the condition of your car tyres for you, to make sure you are both safe and legal, call Autofit Garage Chorley today on 01257 267 829 to book in for a free tyre check. Or why not call round to see us at 46-50 Bengal Street, Chorley PR7 1SA. We are open 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and 8.00am to 12.30pm on Saturdays.