Tyres must have at least 1.6mm of tread depth across the centre three quarters of the tyre to legally pass. It is also against the rules to have any damage on the tyre or have any bulges or cuts in the rubber.
READ MORE
-
This small vibration could be the sign of major car defect
Motorists could be issued fines of up to £2,500 and three penalty points per tyre which did not meet minimum safety standards.
This means motorists could be instantly banned through clocking up 12 penalty points if their tyres are in a seriously bad condition.
In 2018, one third of accidents caused by vehicle defects were due to defective, illegal or under inflated tyres.
But a new quiz from Tyres on the Drive and Halfords has shockingly revealed that nine out of ten British drivers do not know how to change a tyre on their cars.
The new interactive quiz tests motorists’ knowledge of tyre changes from selecting the tools needed to asking participants which way you should twist a wheel nut to unscrew the tyre.
A total of 68 percent of participants said they were “highly confident” of their abilities before they took the test despite many later struggling.
Just one in ten drivers were able to complete the test without making any mistakes.
Shockingly, 82 percent of drivers admitted they have changed a tyre on their cars before which could indicate it has not been fitted correctly in a safety risk.
DON’T MISS
Deadly road spike tool could give your car a puncture [PICS]
One-fifth of drivers have never checked this and could be fined [INSIGHT]
New law could ban old tyres – Here’s which tyres could be banned [ANALYSIS]
Karl Baker, spokesperson at Halfords Mobile Expert warned drivers itr had “never been more important” to learn basic road maintenance techniques.
He said: “It’s surprising how many people don’t know how to change a tyre.
“As lockdown is lifted, many of us will be taking longer journeys to visit friends and relatives.
“As such, it’s never been more important for drivers to familiarise themselves with basic maintenance knowledge.
READ MORE
- Thousands of road users wait to get repairs and pay more
“While many of us have experience of changing a tyre before, it’s still worth refreshing our understanding of the process.
“Knowing how to change a tyre correctly will go a long way to limiting breakdown call outs over this period.”
One in three drovers slipped up when it came to removing the locking wheel nut from the tyre.
One in three didn’t know that you need to loosen the locking nut with the appropriate key.
Meanwhile 15 percent made the dangerous decision to use a jack straightaway which is not recommended.
Over half of participants didn’t know the direction to turn the wheel nut to loosen the tyre from the vehicle.
The quiz highlighted that experience prevailed with 19-24 year olds twice as likely to select the incorrect tools compared to those older than 65 years of age.
But 52 percent of older drivers placed the jack incorrectly compared to just 20 percent of participants aged between 18 and 24.
Drivers aged between 45 and 54 were the best performing with one in four participants completing all 11 stages correctly.
Motorists can take part in the quiz by following this link and entering a few details about their current vehicle and how confident they are in changing a tyre prior to the test.
Source: Read Full Article