Your tyres play a crucial role in keeping you safe on the road, but they’re often overlooked until something goes wrong. From worn tread to the wrong pressure, even small tyre mistakes can affect your car’s handling, braking, and fuel efficiency.
In this blog, we’ll highlight five common tyre-related errors that drivers make — and how to avoid them to ensure a smoother, safer journey every time you get behind the wheel.
1. Driving with Low Tread Depth
Tyre tread depth plays a critical role in road safety. It’s what helps your vehicle maintain grip, channel water away in wet conditions, and brake effectively when you need it most. As someone who’s worked with thousands of customers choosing the right tyres for UK roads, we’ve seen first-hand how worn tread can seriously compromise control — particularly during sudden braking or in heavy rain, where the risk of aquaplaning increases sharply.
The legal minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, but many road safety experts and motoring organisations, including TyreSafe and The AA, recommend replacing tyres once the tread reaches 3mm. That extra margin can significantly improve wet weather performance and shorten stopping distances.
Checking your tread is straightforward and doesn’t require any special tools. A tread depth gauge offers an accurate reading, but many drivers use the 20p test as a quick alternative. Simply insert a 20p coin into the tyre groove — if you can see the outer rim of the coin, your tread is likely below the safe limit and it’s time to replace the tyre.
2. Ignoring Tyre Pressure
Tyre pressure might seem like a small detail, but it’s one of the most important factors in both vehicle safety and running costs and a common tyre mistake. With years of experience helping UK drivers choose, fit, and maintain their tyres, we know just how common and avoidable pressure related issues are.
Underinflated tyres can lead to overheating, uneven wear, and higher fuel consumption. They also reduce braking efficiency and make steering feel sluggish. On the flip side, overinflated tyres can compromise your grip on the road, reduce ride comfort, and increase the risk of impact damage from potholes or kerbs. In both cases, you’re looking at reduced safety and a shorter tyre lifespan not to mention unnecessary fuel costs.
According to National Highways and tyre safety groups like TyreSafe, incorrect tyre pressure is one of the most frequent causes of tyre failure on UK roads. The good news? It’s easy to prevent. Check your tyre pressure at least once a month, and always before long trips or when carrying heavy loads.
You’ll find your vehicle’s recommended pressures in the owner’s manual, on a label inside the driver’s door frame, or behind the fuel cap. Most petrol stations and home tyre inflators make the process quick and hassle free. Maintaining the correct pressure not only extends the life of your tyres it keeps you safer, saves fuel, and improves your car’s overall handling.
3. Mixing Tyre Types
Mixing different tyre types on your vehicle might seem harmless, but it can have a serious impact on your car’s performance, stability, and overall safety. As tyre specialists working with a wide range of vehicles and driving styles across the UK, we’ve seen how inconsistent tread patterns, rubber compounds, or even brands can disrupt your car’s handling — particularly in wet or icy conditions.
Each tyre is designed with specific characteristics, such as tread depth, grip level, and flexibility, to deliver a certain driving feel. When tyres with different designs are paired on the same vehicle, it can cause uneven traction, unpredictable braking, and imbalanced cornering. This is especially risky in emergency situations where your tyres need to work together seamlessly.
Tyre manufacturers, safety experts, and the UK Highway Code all advise matching tyres on the same axle — meaning your two front tyres or two rear tyres should be the same type, size, load rating, and speed rating. Mismatched tyres could even lead to an MOT advisory or fail, depending on severity.
While replacing all four tyres at once is ideal — particularly for all-wheel drive vehicles where even wear is essential — it’s not always necessary. If you’re only replacing two, make sure they match and are fitted to the correct axle, usually the rear, to maintain control in poor conditions.
4. Delaying Tyre Replacements
Putting off tyre replacements is a gamble that can cost you far more than the price of a new set. As tyre professionals who’ve helped thousands of UK drivers choose and fit safe, reliable tyres, we’ve seen the consequences of leaving it too late — from blowouts on the motorway to failed MOTs and avoidable breakdowns.
Worn or damaged tyres seriously compromise your car’s stopping ability, especially in wet conditions. The rubber may no longer flex and grip the road properly, and any existing weak spots can quickly worsen with heat, speed, or road debris. According to TyreSafe and DVSA, defective tyres remain one of the most common causes of MOT failures — but they also contribute to a large number of tyre-related accidents.
It’s not just tread depth you need to watch. Other warning signs include:
- Cracks in the sidewall
- Bulges or blisters
- Frequent loss of pressure
- Uneven or rapid wear
- Vibrations while driving
If you spot any of these, don’t wait for your next service or MOT to take action. Replacing tyres early helps prevent further vehicle damage and ensures you stay safe — especially in poor weather or at high speeds.
5. Choosing Price Over Quality
It’s natural to look for savings when buying new tyres — but opting for the cheapest option isn’t always the most cost-effective or safest choice in the long run. Based on our experience working with both everyday drivers and motoring experts, we’ve seen the clear differences between entry level tyres and trusted premium brands when it comes to performance, durability, and safety.
Budget tyres may meet minimum legal standards, but they often fall short in areas like wet grip, braking distance, noise levels, and fuel efficiency. In comparison, premium tyres from leading manufacturers are rigorously tested to perform well in a variety of real-world driving conditions, from wet roads to high speed motorway use.
That said, you don’t always need the most expensive set on the shelf. The key is choosing tyres that are right for your vehicle type, driving style, and environment. Whether you need tyres built for stop-start city driving, regular motorway travel, or rural roads, quality and reliability should come first.
At Asda Tyres, we stock a wide range of trusted brands, from affordable mid range options to high performance premium sets all with fitting included in the price. So you can drive away knowing you’ve made a safe and sensible choice, without breaking the bank.