Legal Requirements - Tyres

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The minimum requirement is that you must have the correct size and construction type
of tyre for your vehicle. However tyre and vehicle manufacturers work together to
develop OE tyres for specific vehicles, we recommend that you replace your tyres
with the OE tyres as they are optimised for you vehicle’s characteristics.
The legal tread depth of a tyre is 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the
tyres however we recommend changing them well before they reach this level. The
manufacturer’s recommendation is 3mm, as grip is significantly reduced below this
figure. By ensuring your tyre tread is adequate, you won’t be running the risk of
receiving fines and penalty points on your license.
Your tyres should be inflated to the correct pressure, shown in your vehicles
handbook. Over or under inflation can cause uneven tyre ware as well as impact
handling.
In terms of the tyres health, there should be no lumps, bulges or tears in the
sidewall. There should also be no ply exposed anywhere on the tyre.
You should have the same construction tyre on the same axle, usually tyres are
radial or cross ply. We also don’t recommend fitting different patterns tyres, such
as asymmetric or directional on the same axle as these tyres are designed to be
fitted in pairs for optimum handling. Some ultra-high performance tyres are
asymmetric and directional and are marked with left and right. Again, these must be
fitted in the correct position to ensure you get maximum potential from the tyres.