Tyre Fines: The Obvious, The Unknown and The Forgotten

The penalties for driving with illegal tyres can be severe. If you are stopped by the police and your tyres are found to be against regulations, you can receive 3 penalty points on your driving license and be fined up to £10,000.

With this in mind, we spoke with the experts at Davanti Tyres, one of the UK’s leading mid-range tyre brands, to uncover the most common and unexpected tyre fines to make sure this spring you’re set for the road and don’t face any startling bills!

So, what do we need to be looking for to make sure our tyres are suitable for the road?

1. The obvious tyre complaint: Tread depth

A tyre worn below the legal minimum limit can see you driving unsafely and out of pocket. The legal tread depth for tyres in the UK is 1.6mm. If your tyres are found to be below the legal tyre tread depth limit for UK roads, you run the risk of being fined, receiving penalty points on your driving licence, and potentially being disqualified from driving.

So how can you check if it’s the right depth? Sean Maddocks at Davanti Tyres explains:

“The 20p test is a simple, quick and easy way of checking your tyre tread. 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.”

2. The unknown tyre offence: Mixing

Maddocks continues:

“Many people are feeling the strain from the rising cost of living and if they suffer a puncture, they might be tempted to hunt out the cheapest option and even mix and match their tyres. But this often ‘unknown’ tyre rule could cost UK drivers financially and add penalty points on their licence.”

Mixing your tyres – where you have different sorts of tyres such as all-season versus winter, or different brands on the same axle – is an offence that could see you getting into trouble with the law. Mixing and matching the type of tyre means that you’re not only left with inconsistent performance, but it can also potentially lead to poor handling, and you’re also more likely to experience a catastrophic blowout because of the stresses you’re placing on the system. So, don’t be tempted!

3. The often forgotten: Simple maintenance checks

Maddocks concludes by saying:

“Although it’s best to head to a garage and have an expert check your tyres if you have any concerns, there are simple checks all drivers should do to generally monitor their tyres’ health and ensure they aren’t driving on anything potentially illegal which is likely to cost them in the form of a fine.”

Simple maintenance checks motorists should be doing at least once a month include:

• Tyre pressure – make sure your tyre pressure is always within the recommended boundaries. A deflated tyre can make it unsuitable for purpose. If it’s looking obviously deflated, be sure to take it to your local specialist garage.
• Cuts – visually check for any cuts in the tyre which may affect its strength and performance. Anything more than 25mm or 10% of the section width of the tyre, on the outside of the tyre, may mean your tyre needs replacing.
• Lumps, bulges or tears – if you notice any of these during your checks, it can mean the tyre structure is compromised and could be illegal. If you spot anything you don’t think looks ‘right’, don’t hesitate to get it checked.

But why should we be so conscious of tyre health? Aside from the safety aspects, if all four tyres on your vehicle are found to be illegal, you could be fined £10,000 (£2,500 per tyre) and get 12 penalty points on your driving licence, so it’s time to start taking tyre maintenance seriously.

For more information on tyre safety from the experts at Davanti Tyres so as to avoid incurring tyre fines, please visit: www.davanti-tyres.com.

Author Bio:

Simon Burrell is Editor of Our Man Behind The Wheel, a professional photographer and former saloon car racing driver.

Photograph courtesy of Davanti Tyres