is this tyre legal or not?

Wig

Viper_7 wrote: »

If the OP is worried get them checked ,no-one on here can say they are ok, and shouldn't be advising they are.

Disagree,

The OP has provided a picture and noted that the main grooves are at least 3mm. She? has basically asked if this tread pattern , having two smooth ribs in the centre with 3 x 3mm deep main grooves is legal.

The unequivocal answer to that question is "yes, that characteristic is legal"

The OP has not asked about what other factors -which have not been mentioned- may make the tyre illegal.

We will have to assume that the OP has enough common sense to know that she only asked about that specific tread pattern and did not ask about what other factors may make the tyre illegal. And therefore the answers she got were more or less specific to the question she asked.

Although your answer included some helpful advice about the other factors that could affect legality, we would be here all year if we all started answering every question to include all possible scenarios of related/slightly related/remotlely related/unrelated items which would affect an answer given.

I also included an off topic comment for her to check the "radial" grooves between the blocks going over the shoulder of her tyre, to be sure that the whole tread is legal. I thought this was sufficient.

Viper_7

Wig, problem is the OP is "Thick when it comes to cars" so no we cannot assume the OP has enough common sense - which is a bit of an insult as someone that may come easy to you may be difficult to comprehend for someone else and vice versa.

If people say the tyre is legal (which yes it is based on that one component) they may go away thinking it is fully legal and not consider or know about the other factors.

Will you advise someone to carry out some electrical work based on just their opening query and assume they have enough "common sense" to carry out the work?

jase1

photome wrote: »

What is the risk? Tyre grip doesnt diminish substantially until below the legal limit

So why is the legal limit so much higher elsewhere in Europe?

This comment is demonstrably false.

There may be an argument for taking it easy (and you have to be careful if doing this), but this misinformation is dangerous if taken at face value. I can point you to a test that demonstrates that running a tyre down to 1.6mm is far less safe than running a cheap budget tyre.

Stephen_Leak

Whether it's legal or otherwise, if the tread depth is 3mm or below, the grip from a tyre is significantly reduced and you should start shopping around for a replacement.

Flyboy152

photome wrote: »

What is the risk? Tyre grip doesnt diminish substantially until below the legal limit

:huh: What????? :eek:

Wig

Viper_7 wrote: »

Wig, problem is the OP is "Thick when it comes to cars" so no we cannot assume the OP has enough common sense - which is a bit of an insult as someone that may come easy to you may be difficult to comprehend for someone else and vice versa.

If people say the tyre is legal (which yes it is based on that one component) they may go away thinking it is fully legal and not consider or know about the other factors.

Will you advise someone to carry out some electrical work based on just their opening query and assume they have enough "common sense" to carry out the work?

It's not an insult at all. Common sense - by definition can be applied to all situations and subjects. The OP knows she has asked about one specific subject, "tread depth", so she will receive answers on that subject alone. The OP may or may not know about other factors affecting legality of tyres. If she wishes to know those factors she can ask a question "What factors affect legality".

If anyone is being rude here, it's you, for not giving the OP the credit to know what question she has asked.

In any event you have told her that there are other factors to consider. So now she knows.

davehills

photome wrote: »

What is the risk? Tyre grip doesnt diminish substantially until below the legal limit

Also remember that the limit used to be 1mm and that was deemed perfectly safe. It was only because the rest of Europe used 1.6mm as the limit that we changed.

From the pictures and the brand of the tyre I think those two central bands are designed to be devoid of tread and thus the tyre is most likely legal.

However, get an expert to have a look in case there is hidden damage elsewhere.

photome

Flyboy152 wrote: »

:huh: What????? :eek:

As you read it, just because you disagree doesnt make me wrong.

I am only going from my own experience of driving 30000 plus mile a year for as long as I can remember and driving on so many different makes of tyres.

I have had cheap budget tyres that are definitely not better than a premium tyre with only 2mm left on

jase1

photome wrote: »

As you read it, just because you disagree doesnt make me wrong.

I am only going from my own experience of driving 30000 plus mile a year for as long as I can remember and driving on so many different makes of tyres.

I have had cheap budget tyres that are definitely not better than a premium tyre with only 2mm left on

I'll believe my own experience, and that of AutoExpress before trusting your viewpoint if you don't mind.

Wet stopping distance from 70mph on 1.6mm tread increased by between 35 and 45 metres over stopping distance at 3mm that was already degraded. Wet stopping distance from 70mph on (poor quality) budget tyre increased by between 8 and 14 metres over a brand new tyre.

Sounds fairly conclusive to me. New budget tyre would probably be comparable to premium tyre with 3mm on those figures, if not a little better.

We are all entitled to opinion but please don't present safety-related opinion as fact when studies suggest otherwise.

bigjl

photome wrote: »

As you read it, just because you disagree doesnt make me wrong.

I am only going from my own experience of driving 30000 plus mile a year for as long as I can remember and driving on so many different makes of tyres.

I have had cheap budget tyres that are definitely not better than a premium tyre with only 2mm left on

You are right in one respect, dry weather grip will not diminish much as the tyre gets towards the end of its life.

However the wet weather grip and resistance to aqau planing will be reduced as the tyre gets worn, I have noticed my Mondeo is a bit "looser" in the wet now that they tyres are past the 3mm tread level.

I believe the Met Traffic Police have a minimum tread depth around 3 or 4mm, but that was only going by what a beat copper told me one night at the scene of an RTC, the car involved had bald tyres and the conversation went in that kind of direction.

The LAS has a 2mm limit on all vehicles, but in all honesty if the car goes in for its service, every 5 or 6 weeks and the tyres are around 3mm they tend to change them, and they always change them as an axle set. Not needed legally, but good practice.

You are right that an almost worn out premium tyre may well perform aswell as or better than a much newer ditchfinder.

This is why if I had to put secondhand tyres on a car for some reason the I would only put on part worn premium tyres.