Tyres >Help >Tyres Help > What makes your tyres legal vs illegal?
What makes your tyres legal?
Legal tyres must adhere to certain standards when it comes to their construction, performance and design. For a new tyre being sold, a tyre needs to be marked with a European ECE Type Approval marking – to show it has been tested and passed European safety standards.
You will see a digit following the E and this relates to which country the tyre was approved in. For the UK, E11 indicates in was approved in the United Kingdom.
What makes your tyres illegal?
Tyres that are deemed illegal have not been through these tests and may not be suitable for use on roads in Britain.
Examples of these include tyres with insufficient tread depth, worn or damaged sidewalls or incorrect size for wheel rims.
Checking the condition of all four tyres regularly to ensure they're safe and legal. Also test your tyre’s tread depth and tyre pressure levels before any long journey.
What is the legal limit for tyres?
The legal limit for a tyre’s tread depth is 1.6mm across at least three quarters of its circumference - this should be measured in several places around the circumference at regular intervals as part of regular checks.
Tyres below this level should be replaced immediately as they are unsafe for use on public roads, increasing risk of an accident or penalty points & fines if caught by police officers.
It's also important to note that even if all four wheels meet standards, uneven wear can signal an alignment problem with your car which needs addressing quickly before further damage occurs - so keep an eye out for any abnormal wear and tear.
Having safe and reliable tyres is key to staying safe on British roads so make sure you stay up-to-date with all relevant regulations and keep checking those tread depths.
How many points for bald tyres?
If the police find that you are driving on tyres below the legal tyre tread depth, you can be faced with 3 penalty points per tyre. You could also be fined up to £2,500 per illegal tyre. So if you have 4 bald tyres, you may face a £10,000 fine and a driving ban. Safety concerns aside (the most important reasons to not drive on bald tyres) it is not worth it.