mobile tyre fitting Hackney and other relevant factors
Checking the tread depth of your tyres at regular intervals is necessary to comply with the law. As per the legal requirement, if a tire’s tread depth dips below 1.6 mm, that tire is no longer suitable for use and must be replaced immediately. Tires play a crucial role in your vehicle – a tire is the only point of contact between the road surface and your car. So, if your tires are already past the best part of their lives, then it is obvious that your safety and that of your vehicle are compromised while you are driving on the road.
How to measure tire trade depth and stay legal
Violating a rule invites a fine, and with your vehicle’svehicle’s tires, it is no exception. If you drive your vehicle on bald tires, you risk being fined nothing less than £2,500, alongside penalty points for each tire. If, by chance, all four tires are worn below the legal limit, then you have to shell out £10,000 as an acceptable. Probably, now you have some idea why it is essential to check the tread depth of your tyres at regular intervals. The question is how to check a tire’s tread depth to ensure you are safe on the road and comply with the legal requirements. Let us try exploring the answers in the paragraphs below.
The legal limit of tread depth of tyres in the UK
The legal tread depth of cars across the UK and Europe is 1.6 mm across the three central quarters of any tire. As per the law, the tread depth in the whole circumference of a tyre must meet this minimal requirement. In the ongoing context, it is relevant to mention that one of the most common factors for MOT is failing bald tires, which explains a mechanic who has provided the service of a mobile tyre fitting in Hackney over the years. This is the reason why it is crucial to get into the habit of checking the tread depth of your tires regularly. If you are not confident about doing it alone, you may hire an on-call mobile tire mechanic or fix an appointment with a local garage, and those professionals will do it for you.
Minimum tread depth of a tyre
Professionals who possess expertise in automobile tires and road safety believe the legal minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm is insufficient to guarantee your driving safety. As far as practicality is concerned a tread depth of 3 mm is ideal to replace an existing tyre from service with a new one. Professionals with expertise in automobile technology point out that once a tire’s tread depth goes below 3 mm, the stopping distance increases manifolds as if by magic. The difference in wet braking distance for a tire with a tread depth of 3 mm to another with a tread depth of 1.6 mm is calculated to be as much as nearly 50%.
Why tread Depth matters
Tires that are worn out are significantly dangerous in wet conditions, and there is a valid reason for that. A tire’s tread is vital in dispensing water away during rains from the patch of contact between the tire tire and the road surface. When there is lesser tread depth, it is evident that a lesser amount of water is shifted. Thus, the risks of aquaplaning and losing grip get magnified. During heavy rains, each tire of your vehicle may have to dispense a gallon of water each second, and this should give you an idea about how much hard work tires have to perform to let you enjoy a smooth and safe drive every time.
To put it in simple words, the deeper the tread of a tyre, the better its performance and grip on the road surface. A hackney tire mechanic says you can measure the tread depth of your car or any other vehicle using either a tread depth gauge or a 20-pence coin.
Here are some tried-and-tested tips for
measuring the tread depth of your car using a 20-penny coin.
First, turn the ignition off and put your car on the handbrake.
Turn the steering wheel till it becomes completely locked.
Insert a 20-pence coin into the tread grooves around one of the tires.
Now, notice carefully;
if you see the coin’s rim has disappeared, you can be assured that the tire still has a lot of tread depth left.
However, if the coin’s outer band remains visible, the tire may be unsafe to use anymore. In that case, getting the tyre inspected by a trained and experienced mechanic is better, suggesting experts who have dealt with 24 hr mobile tire fitting over the years at a stretch.
Alternatively, checking the tyre tread depth using tread wear indicators is possible. These indicators are spaced around the circumference of a tyre. If the tread wears indicator levels with the remaining tread, it is time to replace the existing tires.
Some tires have the indicators embossed on the wall. This is usually done with an arrow or line below the tire’s outer tread.
What you should expect in case you have an accident on a bald or illegal tire
Driving a vehicle with tires that have a tread depth below the legally permissible limit is always dangerous, as it can put the driver and other passengers in the vehicle at significant risk.
The legal consequences can be dangerous if you get involved in an accident while driving such a vehicle.
Any insurance claim to compensate for the loss caused by the accident is likely to be invalidated. In other words, your insurer will not pay a single penny to help you compensate for your loss.
In addition
To that, you could also be fined up to £2,500 per tyre worn out below the permissible limit along with three points in your license, warns a mechanic who has dealt with mobile tyre fitting and repair in Hackney over the years at a stretch. If all four tires of your car are found to be illegal in that case, you pay a fine of £10,000 along with a dozen penalty points on your license.