Can Your Tyres Affect Your Insurance?
According to a recent survey by car insurance comparison site, Confused.com, 60% of motorists have no idea what the legal tread depth for tyres is. The recommended depth for tyre tread is over 3mm, although you’re not illegal until you hit 1.6mm. At that point, should you get caught with bare tyres, you could be fined up to £2,500 per tyre and have 3 points put on your license.
The survey also found that 60% of drivers don’t know how to put air in their tyres, and 14% even said they didn’t know they were supposed to!
Having illegal tyres could have repercussions on your next insurance renewal, and if you have an accident with illegal tyres on your car, you may not actually be covered by your insurance. Tread depth and inflation may seem like a small issue, but they are a major cause of UK car accidents, as bare, or improperly-inflated tyres have much less grip on the road, and can lead to skidding and delayed braking.
So, we hope you’re part of the 40% who do know about tread depth, because there really is a simple method for checking your tyres’ tread depth, called the 20p test.
Insert a 20p piece into the main tread of your tyres and if you can see the rim of the coin above the tread, your tyres are illegal. If that outer band is covered by your tyre’s tread, then you’re legal!
So check your tyres, or get them checked and replaced at a tyre specialist, and save money on top brand tyres by buying online at Grippy.co.uk.