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UK law requires that your vehicle is fitted with tyres that are in a roadworthy condition and are fit for the purpose they are being used.
This means fitting the right tyres, and, for safety, ensuring that they are not damaged. You should also ensure tyres are inflated to the manufacturer's recommended pressure. Find out more about tyre law essentials below.
What is the legal tread depth limit?
The legal limit for the minimum depth of the tread on your tyres is 1.6 millimetres, across the central ¾ of the tread around the complete circumference of the tyre.
For safety reasons, it is recommended that you replace your car tyres before the legal limit is reached. Many vehicle manufacturers recommend replacing at 3 millimetres, as below this depth stopping distances start to dramatically increase. At 1.6 millimetres in wet weather, it takes an extra two car lengths (8 metres) to stop at 50 mph, compared to if your tread was 3 millimetres.
What additional tyre checks should be done regularly?
As well as the minimum tread depth, it is also important to make sure that your tyres are free of any other defects. Lumps, bumps and bulges could mean the tyre is structurally damaged, while any cut or tear bigger than 25mm, or 10% of the tyre’s width, can mean your tyres are not road-legal. The same applies if any part of the tyre's ply or cord is exposed.
Can you mix different types of tyres?
It is also a legal requirement to ensure that car tyres of different construction types are not fitted to opposite sides of the same axle. The two main tyre types are radial and cross-ply, and these must not be mixed on the same axle.
Mixing brands and patterns of the same construction type is permissible depending on the vehicle type and manufacturer's recommendation. Check your vehicle's handbook for tyre fitment details and options or ask your local Kwik Fit team for assistance.
A weekly check of your car tyres can help you to avoid 3 penalty points and £2,500 in fines for having tyres worn beyond the legal minimum limit on your vehicle. Why not book a free tyre check at your local Kwik Fit centre, and catch any potential issues early.
How to test your tread depth
Treadwear indicators
Perhaps the easiest way to check if you are close to the legal limit is looking for your tyres’ tread wear indicators. These small bars, usually around 5mm wide, span the base of the tyre's main grooves. These are set to a low height, so once the surface of the tread begins to wear to a similar level as the indicators you can tell that it is time to have your tyres checked, and probably replaced.
20p Test
You can also check your tread depth with the 20p test. Putting a 20p coin into the grooves of a tyre is a simple way to test whether the tread depth is above the legal limit. The outer rim of a 20p coin is just under 3mm wide, so as long as the rim is hidden when inserted then the tyre is above the legal tread limit.
If in doubt, visit your nearest Kwik Fit
If you are at all unsure about your tyre tread, or think your tyres are nearing the legal limit, we provide a free tyre check service at all Kwik Fit centres for your convenience.
Our trained technicians will carry out a full inspection of your tyres to check the general condition of the tyres, ensuring the tread depths meet minimum legal requirements. They’ll also check tyre pressure is maintained - as per your manufacturer’s recommendation. The findings of your tyre inspection are detailed in a written report for your convenience.
If you’ve got any questions in the meantime, or before you can make it into your local centre, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Your tyre size can be found on the sidewall of your current tyre and is a sequence of numbers and letters. The most common tyre size in the UK is 205/55R16 but there are many variations so it’s important to check your existing tyre first before searching for tyres.
Tip: Take a photo of your existing tyre sidewall to make it easier to identify your tyre size using the guide below.
The first three digits. This displays the width of the tyre in millimetres. A tyre marked 225 will measure 225mm across the tread from sidewall to sidewall.
Aspect Ratio
The fourth and fifth digits of the tyre code that immediately follow the tyre width. The aspect ratio or profile height of the tyre sidewall is expressed as a percentage of the tyre width. So an aspect ratio of 55 for example means that the profile height of the tyre is 55% of its width.
Rim Diameter
The next two digits represent the size of the wheel rim that the tyre can be fitted to. It is also the diameter of the tyre from bead to bead. So a tyre marked 16 will fit on a 16-inch wheel rim.
Speed Rating
The speed rating of a tyre is represented by a letter of the alphabet at the end of the tyre size code and indicates the maximum speed capability of the tyre. Tyres receive a speed rating based on a series of tests which measure the tyres capability to handle a set speed for a prolonged period of time.
Select your tyre speed rating to find out the maximum speed your tyres can maintain.
If you are unsure what speed rating you need, be sure to check your vehicle handbook. Choosing a lower speed rating than that recommended by your vehicle manufacturer could potentially invalidate your insurance.
Load Rating
The load index provides information on the maximum weight capability for the tyre. The load index is a numerical code that can be located just after the tyre size marking and before the speed rating.
Select your load index to find out the maximum load capability for your tyres.
Although not illegal, it is not advisable to have tyres with a lower speed rating or load index than the manufacturer recommended tyre specification for your vehicle, or to have a combination of different tyre construction types. Consult your vehicle handbook to confirm your vehicle’s tyre speed rating and load index as well as any additional requirements.
0800 75 76 77 You can reach our customer care team 6 days a week from 9:00am to 6:00pm on Monday and Thursday, 8:30am to 6:00pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm Saturday, and 10:00am to 4:00pm on Bank Holidays.
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We endeavour to ensure we are displaying the correct tyres for your vehicle. However, we recommend all customers check the tyre size printed on the side wall of their tyres before proceeding with a tyre purchase as occasionally discrepancies do occur. By selecting the tyre sizes above and clicking 'Continue', you are indicating that you have checked your tyre sizes.
Please select your front and rear tyre size before clicking 'Continue'.
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Please note: There is a slope that the vehicle must be driven up to reach the vehicle ramp at this centre. This may prevent us from being able to work on some high-performance vehicles, Tesla vehicles or vehicles that have been lowered. If your vehicle has low ground clearance, please contact the centre team on 01342 314 111 before booking.
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