What hurts more, being fined for using illegal car tyres or paying out so your car tyres are legal and safe? In practice, the latter cancels out the former. However, it pays to know what the law requires of you in relation to your car's tyres. Here is a breakdown of the legal necessities as regards car tyres.
Driving on worn or damaged tyres can attract a fine (or an MOT failure) and it can also place you firmly in breach of your car insurance policy's conditions. Both these events matter but something else you may be doing is of far greater importance. Never forget that using tyres that are of the wrong type, are damaged or are worn endangers lives.
Important Points
What makes a car tyre poor? Several aspects can put a tyre in this category but there are important factors you need to consider…
Car tyres must not have any lumps, bumps or tears caused by separation or partial structural failure.
They must not have a cut or tear longer than 25 millimetres, or longer than 10 per cent of the width of the tyre's section (whichever is the greater). No such damage may be sufficiently deep as to reach the tyre's internal cords.
No part of the tyre's internal plies or cords may be exposed.
Any tyre must be compatible with the type of tyres fitted to the other wheels
Any tyre, on a car or trailer, must be fit for purpose and free from any defect that might endanger any person or damage the road.
Legal Tyre Maintenance
All car tyres have to be correctly inflated, to the car maker's and tyre manufacturer's recommendations. It is acknowledged that under certain circumstances, 'run-flat' tyres may be used in an uninflated or partially inflated state.
How Much Tread?
The legal minimum tread depth requirement for a car tyre is, 'at least 1.6mm throughout a continuous band in the centre 3/4 of the tread and around the entire circumference.' This tread depth must not fall below the legal minimum and the original tread pattern must be visible.
Must I Carry a Spare?
In law, you aren't obliged to carry a spare tyre and nor need one meet legal requirements when it is stored in or under the car. However, if a spare tyre is used, it must comply with all the above legal requirements.
The Penalties
Now for the bottom line. What will illegal tyres cost you? Read on, carefully…
If you use a vehicle with one or more defective or illegal tyres, a police officer can issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (a Conditional Offer Notice in Scotland).
At his or her discretion, a police officer may decide not to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice but may report the case for prosecution.
Both the car's driver and its owner (if he or she is not the same person) are liable. One or both may be issued a summons.
A court can impose fines up to a maximum of £2,500, and three penalty points. This relates to a car; the financial penalty for a goods vehicle or for one built or modified to carry more than eight passengers can be double this amount.
If a car has more than one defective tyre, a summons can be issued for each illegal tyre.
Under certain circumstances, disqualification becomes possible.
Sobering reading? Certainly, but this is probably less punitive than the physical costs of a car accident caused by an illegal tyre.
Article Resource
Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.
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