What is the legal minimum tread depth for car tyres?
Legal tread depth requirements in the UK
The law is clear on minimum tread depth for car tyres in the United Kingdom.
The legal minimum
Car tyres must have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread width, around the entire circumference of the tyre. This applies to all cars, light vans and light trailers.
Penalties for illegal tread
Driving with tread below the legal minimum can result in:
- A fine of up to £2,500 per tyre
- 3 penalty points per illegal tyre
- If all four tyres are illegal, that is potentially £10,000 in fines and 12 penalty points, which is enough for an automatic driving ban
Motorcycle minimum
For motorcycles over 50cc, the legal minimum is 1mm across three-quarters of the breadth and around the entire circumference.
Safety recommendation
Many safety organisations and tyre manufacturers recommend replacing tyres at 3mm rather than waiting until the legal minimum. Testing shows that wet braking distances increase significantly once tread drops below 3mm, with performance at 1.6mm being up to 44 percent worse than at 3mm in wet conditions.
