Why is tread depth so important?

Tyre tread is grooved in such as way that each tyre can shift one gallon of water per second away from the contact patch. That’s impressive performance by any metric!

In order to maintain this reliable performance, the legal limit for tread depth is 1.6 mm. Some manufacturers even suggest replacement as early as 3 mm.

In wet conditions, stopping distances can increase by up to 44% and that’s with tyres that are legally worn between the 3 mm and 1.6 mm thresholds. Once your tyres are worn below the legal limit, they are considered dangerous by the police service.

So, check your tyres using one of these 3 simple methods:

Tread wear indicators

The first method to check your tyre tread depth is the check the tyre wear indicators on each tyre. Most tyre brands build a tyre checker into their tyres. This is a strip of rubber that is recessed into the tyre tread itself.

Sometimes they are referred to as ‘cross ribs’. These strips are 1.6mm proud of the tyre cap. Once your tyre tread is worn down and level with these cross ribs, you know it’s time to start considering replacement tyres.

The twenty pence test

The twenty pence test is an easy and (almost) free way to monitor your tyre tread depth. First, take a twenty pence piece and slot it into the central tread grooves of your tyres. Look at the coin and if the treads cover the engraved words on the outer band of the coin, then the tread is above the legal limit.

However, if you can see any part of the engraved words in the outer band, then your tyres are likely to be below the legal limit of 1.6 mm and need to be checked by a qualified tyre professional.

Tread depth gauges

Looking to be more precise, or have multiple vehicles on the road at once? You’d be better investing in a tyre tread depth gauge. Relatively cheap and simple to operate, there is no better investment than a tread depth gauge for fleet operators or car enthusiasts.

Dedicated gauges are the most accurate and efficient way of checking tread depth in this list because they measure the wear of a tyre to the millimetre. If you own more than one vehicle or enjoy motorsports, this is the ideal way to keep your tyres in top condition and ready for anything.

Trade Tyre Services is a leading tyres specialist serving customers in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Cannock and the surrounding areas. We offer expert advice, tyres from leading manufactures for all budgets and even a mobile tyre fitting service for your convenience. Cars, vans, taxis and motorcycles are easily given fresh rubber thanks to our highly qualified and friendly staff. For more information, don’t hesitate to contact us today.