How to Check Your Tyre Tread

You already know that regular checks and maintenance are key to keeping your motor in top condition. But what you might not know is that checking your car tyre tread is essential for preventing issues – and ensuring you're still road legal. Knowing how to check your tyre tread is vital for car owners, so read on for a simple step-by-step guide on how to do it.

By Gumtree Editorial Team

17 February 2021 6 min read

What is a tyre tread?

Your tyre is the only part of your vehicle that makes direct contact with the road. The rubber around its circumference that makes this contact is called the tread. As you’ll have noticed when checking your tyres, the tyre tread has grooves in it. These grooves give your car a good grip and prevent it from skidding. But an important thing to note is that these grooves need to have a certain depth to be considered safe enough for road use. This measurement is known as the tyre tread depth.

What to look out for when checking your tyre tread

There are some key indicators that something is wrong with your tread or that something needs to be changed. You can monitor the condition of your tyre treads by looking out for these changes:

If the outer edges of your tyres are worn, this might be an indication of an underinflated tyre. Check your tyre pressure and increase accordingly. You should be able to find the recommended front and rear tyre pressure in your car’s handbook, or on a sticker on the sill of the driver’s door. If you’re having trouble finding the recommended pressure, get in touch with a reputable mechanic.
If your tyre is worn only in the centre, it’s most likely overinflated. This could lead to a blowout if not corrected, so use a pressure gauge and deflate as needed.
If you notice your tread is balding or getting smoother, you’ll need to change your tyre as soon as possible. Tyre treads should have a depth of at least 1.6mm to be considered safe to drive. 1.6mm is the current legal tyre tread depth in the UK.

How to check your tyre tread

There are three common methods you can use to check the depth of your tyre treads:

Using a 20p coin

This is a really easy way to check that your tyre is above the legal limit. The slanted edge of the 20p coin is 3 mm deep and you can use it to check your tyre tread depth by inserting the coin in one of the grooves. If you can still see the outer band of the coin, then you’re below the legal limit of 1.6 mm and your tyres may be dangerous. However, if you can’t see the outer band, then you’re above the standard tyre tread depth and your car’s safe to drive.

Using tyre tread Wear Indicators (TWI)

The tread wear indicators are narrow strips of rubber found between the main grooves of the tyres. These strips serve as a way to tell when your tread is dropping below the recommended depth. To see this, you’ll need to turn your steering to full lock to give you full visibility of your tyre. If the tread is on the same level as the indicator or below, then it’s reached the minimum 1.6 mm and needs to be changed asap. If the tread is higher than the TWI, you’re good to go.

Using a tyre tread depth gauge

This is the way to go if you want the most accurate reading. A tread depth gauge is a handy tool for accurately measuring the depth of your tyre treads – you can pick one up at most auto shops. Placing it into several different spots across the tyre treads will show clearly exactly how deep your treads are in millimetres.

If you still feel uncertain about whether your tyres are safe, take your car to a trusted mechanic or garage and ask for advice.

Why you should check your tyre tread regularly

Driving with tyres below the limit of 1.6mm is not only illegal but puts you and other road users in serious danger. In wet conditions, tyres with insufficient tread depth can lose contact with the surface of the road, making steering, acceleration and braking difficult.

If you’re caught driving with your tyres below the legal limit, you could receive a hefty fine, as well as some penalty points on your licence. We suggest you examine your tyre tread at least every two weeks to be sure. It’s also worth checking the tread on your spares now and again too. In situations where you find your tyres don’t meet the necessary standards, head to the nearest reputable garage to have them changed.

It’s also worth noting that, for optimal performance, some tyre companies recommend changing tyres when the tread depth falls below 3mm. Chat to your local garage for more information on this.

The condition of your tyres is one of the areas checked on your annual MOT but they your tyre treads should to be checked more regularly to avoid tyre-related incidents.

While the legal limit is 1.6mm, it’s advisable to maintain a tyre tread depth of 3mm to be on the safe side. For more car maintenance tips, look through our advice guides hub.

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