Tyres
and the Law | Kevin Boden Tyre Sales |
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Tyres
and the Law |
The law states that in order to be legal a tyre must comply with a number of requirements.
These requirements range from what the manufacturer must be responsible for - relevant sidewall markings etc - and what the motorist should be responsible for - correct fitment and condition of tyre, tread depths etc.
It is recommended that tyres are checked on a weekly basis for tread depth, tread condition, inflation pressure, tread/sidewall damage, any signs of irregular wear. If in doubt seek the advice of a trained tyre expert who will be able to determine the suitability of the tyre for further use.
The penalties for having illegal tyres are currently up to:
a £2500 fine and 3 penalty points PER TYRE & DISCRETIONARY DISQUALIFICATION!
The following gives an overview of the relevant points.
You must NOT have radial tyres on the front wheels and cross ply tyres on the rear wheels, it is also illegal to have a cross ply tyre on one side with a radial on the other.
All tyres must have a service description (i.e. load and speed index)
If the vehicle was to operate outside the service description indicated on the sidewall e.g. at a higher speed or overloaded then the tyres would be deemed to be unsuitable for the use, and a prosecution would follow.
Regulation 27 states "the tyre is not so inflated as to make it fit for the use to which the motor vehicle or trailer is put", however this statement is fairly ambiguous. As there is no indication of at what point an under or over inflated tyre becomes unfit for the use it is being put to.
A cut in excess of 25mm or 10% of the section width of the tyre , whichever is the greater, measured in any direction on the outside of the tyre and deep enough to reach the ply or cord would deem the tyre illegal.
If there is any cut in the tyre no matter how small which exposes the cords, then the tyre is illegal.
Regulation 27 states - " the tyre must not have any lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure ".It is good practice wherever possible when assessing damage that the tyre is removed from the rim and inspected both internally and externally.
The legal minimum tread depth for cars and light trailers (including caravans) up to 3500 kgs gross vehicle weight and/or 8 seated passenger vehicles including driver is:
A minimum of 1.6mm in a continuous band throughout the central three-quarters of the tread width, throughout the whole of the circumference (see illustration below).
© Kevin Boden Tyre Sales 2010
