Tyres

Tyre Law

Tyre pressures

Tyre pressures should be maintained at or within a very close tolerance of the recommended pressures.

Tyre tread depth and damage

When tyres become worn or damaged they must be replaced. There must, by law, be at least 1.6mm of tread depth across the centre 3/4 of the width of the tread throughout the entire circumference of the tyre. There must be no damage to the tyre body - sidewalls or tread, no bulges or cuts.

Tyre types

It is illegal to mix tyres of different construction (cross-ply; bias-belted or radial) on the same axle. Cross-ply and bias-belted tyres are seldom used on production cars and are not widely available in the UK. Cross-ply and radial tyres should never be mixed on the same vehicle. Where a mix is necessary, radial tyres MUST only ever be used on the rear axle and cross-ply tyres on the front. This mix of tyres will produce 'understeer' whereas the opposite will produce 'oversteer'. (Oversteer refers to the car turning more tightly into a corner than it is steered; understeer indicates that the vehicle turns at less of an angle than it is steered). Of the two conditions, understeer is generally accepted to be easier to control.

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