Tyres: What You Need to Know About Wear, Safety, and Replacement

When you drive, your tyres, the rubber components that connect your car to the road. Also known as tires, they’re the only part of your vehicle that actually touches the ground—and they do all the work: stopping, turning, accelerating, and absorbing bumps. If your tyres are worn, underinflated, or damaged, nothing else in your car matters. A bad set of tyres can turn even the best brakes or suspension into useless features.

Most drivers don’t think about their tyres until they blow out or start slipping in the rain. But tyre wear, the gradual loss of tread depth from normal use happens slowly. You won’t feel it until it’s too late. In the UK, the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, but safety experts say you should replace them at 3mm. Why? Because wet braking distance doubles between 3mm and 1.6mm. That’s not a small difference—it’s the gap between avoiding a crash and not.

Tyre pressure, how much air is inside each tyre is just as critical. Underinflated tyres wear out faster on the edges, overheat, and hurt fuel economy by up to 3%. Overinflated ones wear out in the middle and lose grip, especially in corners. Checking pressure once a month takes two minutes and can save you hundreds in fuel and replacements. Always check when the tyres are cold—not after driving.

And it’s not just about tread and pressure. Tyre replacement, the process of swapping worn or damaged tyres for new ones isn’t just a job for mechanics. You can do it yourself with a jack, a wrench, and a little patience. But don’t just replace one tyre unless you have to. Mismatched tyres can throw off your car’s handling, confuse your ABS, and wear out your drivetrain faster. Best practice? Replace them in pairs, or better yet, all four at once.

How long do tyres last? It’s not about age—it’s about use. Even if you drive little, rubber hardens over time. Most manufacturers say replace tyres after six years, no matter the tread. That’s because cracks form in the sidewall from UV exposure and temperature swings. You won’t see them until it’s too late. Look for small lines near the rim—those are signs of dry rot.

You’ll find posts here that explain how to check tread with a 20p coin, why winter tyres make sense even in mild UK winters, and what those weird bumps or vibrations really mean. We cover how to spot uneven wear that points to suspension problems, why alignment matters more than you think, and what those little numbers and letters on the sidewall actually tell you. No fluff. No theory. Just what you need to know to keep your car safe, efficient, and legal.