Usually, the trigger for needing replacement tyres comes down to the tread being too worn for legal use.
If you’re caught with one tyre under the minimum tread depth of 1.6mm in a continuous band around the central three quarters of the tyre, then you could be facing a £2,500 fine and 3 penalty points on your licence. Now image you have all four tyres in this scenario, you’ve suddenly got to pay £10,000 and have lost your licence altogether!
A quick and easy check by either yourself or a car servicing specialist such as ourselves, will potentially save you thousands of pounds and, even more importantly, keep you safer on the roads.
Your tyre tread is essential in providing grip for your car when braking, which becomes even more important during wet weather. The grooves act to channel water out from beneath the tyre, which means that you remain in contact with the road and retain control. When your tread is greatly reduced, you could end up losing total control by a process called aquaplaning.
Aquaplaning is when a layer of water gathers between the wheel and the road’s surface, essentially removing your vehicle’s contact with the ground. This means that the vehicle will not respond to your steering in the same way it would if your tyres had full-tread, and can result in a total loss of control.
According to figures released by the National Tyre Distributors Association, 40% of deaths on the road caused by vehicle-defect in 2015 were due to illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres. They continued to say that 97% of used tyres are being sold illegally due to being part-worn, so put the safety of yourself and others first by only purchasing approved tyres from industry experts, as you have no way of knowing the history of the used tyre in question.
Are you unsure about your tyre tread depth or require replacement tyres? We are your leading experts for tyres in Blandford, so contact us on 01258 459798 with any enquiries.