Let’s face it. We all have car insurance, pay the minimums every month, and just hope we never actually have to claim it. However, there will be situations that arise throughout your driving life where you will need to claim your insurance.
How can your tyres affect your insurance?
There are a couple of reasons as to why and how your tyres could affect your insurance. This could mean that for some reason, your tyres invalidate your insurance, or they could bump up your insurance premium.
In order to be eligible to claim any of your insurance after an accident or incident, the insurance companies state that your car needs to be “road-worthy.” Basically in good enough condition that it would pass an MOT with flying colours. The insurers look at many contributing factors before deciding on whether to pay out or not. These include your tyres. If these have been compromised at the time of the incident, they are unlikely to honor your claim. These issues can include but are not limited to;
1: Wrong fit replacements tyres
This does not apply to any new vehicle that has original equipment tyre fitting so if this is you, you do not have to worry about this one. However, when the time has come to change your tyres, it is always recommended to stick to the original size and specifications from your vehicle manufacturer. Sometimes, it is even the safest option to choose the exact same brand as the ones the car was originally fitted with. Changing your tyres that arent the same, can cause your tyres to be the result of your claim getting denied, as these original fitment tyres have been chosen specifically for the safest possible driving.
2: Speed Rating
If you decide to fit tyres that have a slower speed rating than the originally fitted tyres, your vehicle will no longer support the regular speeds of your car. This can result in accidents or any other incidents that would mean that insurers are in every right to refuse a claim. They would state that the car has now been modified and is no longer road worthy. In certain countries across the globe, it is in fact completely illegal to drive on tyres that have a lower speed rating than the original fitments.
What will it mean if my tyres are illegal?
Illegal tyres are deemed so if there are bulges, lumps or visible damages to the tyres. The tread depth is also crucial to ensuring your tyre is within the legal limit of no less than 1.6mm. If for any reason your tyres are illegal you may be liable to receiving;
- A fine
- Penalty points
- Prosecution
- A loss of your insurance
How do your tyres increase your insurance price?
If you are involved in a car accident, this immediately pushes your premium up, due to being seen as an ‘unsafe driver’. Your premium price may also increase depending on how many penalty points you receive due to the crash. These penalty points can vary, depending on how severe the incident is. From 3 points if you are driving on illegal tyres, to a staggering 11 points if you are caught drunk driving. Although 3 points may not seem much for illegal tyres, if you forget to regularly check and take care of your tyres, these points can add up extremely quickly. So all in all, the more penalty points you have, the higher your premium will be.
Overall, the more attention you pay to caring for your tyres, the lower your insurance will be and there will always be a much lower risk of getting into accidents. If you are unsure, please contact a fitter to have your tyres checked or take it to your nearest garage.