Should I change tyres at 3mm?

Replacing tyres at 3mm

While the legal minimum in the UK is 1.6mm, there is a strong safety case for replacing tyres earlier.

Why 3mm is recommended

Independent testing consistently shows that braking distances on wet roads increase significantly once tread drops below 3mm. At the legal minimum of 1.6mm, wet braking can be up to 44 percent worse than at 3mm. That translates to several additional metres of stopping distance, which can be the difference between avoiding a collision and not.

Is it a legal requirement?

No. You can legally continue driving until the tread reaches 1.6mm. However, for drivers who regularly encounter wet conditions, which is most UK drivers, replacing at 3mm provides a sensible safety margin that many motoring organisations and tyre manufacturers recommend.