![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.asdatyres.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/general_safety_tread_article.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nGood tyre tread depth give you the grip you need<\/h2>\n
Tyre treads \u2013 those grooves that run along your tyre \u2013 were first introduced to the world in 1904, by premium tyre manufacturer, Continental<\/a><\/strong>. They\u2019re arguably the most important tyre safety factor for ensuring your driver safety, because it\u2019s the treads that clear water from the road surface, providing you with the grip you need. This is vital for maintaining control while you drive, particularly when cornering, overtaking, and braking.<\/p>\n Good tread depth allows your tyres to clear water faster. A new set of tyres \u2013 like Continental\u2019s award winning ContiPremiumContact\u2122<\/strong> 5<\/a> \u2013 the majority of new tyres come with up to 8mm of tread depth. Combined with the superior rubber compound that this tyre is made from, good tread depth gives drivers the optimum grip they need to stay safer, especially in wet weather conditions. Says who? Says leading UK car magazine, Auto Express, which named the ContiPremiumContact\u2122 5 as its Ultimate Tyre Test 2017 award winner<\/a><\/strong>, taking top spot for the dry handling, wet handling and wet braking categories.<\/p>\n By comparison, as your tread depth wears down, tyres provide significantly less grip. In wet weather conditions (and goodness knows we get more than enough rainy days in the UK, right?) a lack of grip increases your chances of having an accident. Why? For starters, longer stopping distances<\/a> <\/strong>mean that when you brake you can\u2019t come to a safe stop as quickly, increasing the risk of collision. And if you need to suddenly swerve \u2013 especially at high speed \u2013 a lack of grip increases your chances of losing control and sliding off \u2013 or across \u2013 the road (possibly into oncoming traffic).<\/p>\n And, while UK road legal minimum tyre tread depth is 1.6mm, leading tyre experts \u2013 including Asda Tyres, Continental, and TyreSafe<\/a><\/strong> (the UK tyre organisation that we are a member of) \u2013 believe that you should change your tyres before their tread gets this low. In our opinion, tyres should be replaced when the tread is down to 3mm.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t sound like much of a difference, but by following our tyre safety advice, it should improve your driver safety. Why? Because independent research and testing shows that at 3mm, tyre tread rapidly deteriorates, quickly reducing the grip you need to stay in control on the road. And that, in our professional opinion, is an unnecessary risk for motorists to take, wouldn\u2019t you agree?<\/p>\n – most tyres with 8mm: Tyre is 0% worn. Excellent.<\/p>\n – 7mm: Approximately 15% worn. Very good.<\/p>\n – 6mm: About 30% worn. Good.<\/p>\n – 5mm: Around 45-50% worn. Okay.<\/p>\n – 4mm: Tyre is approximately 65% worn. Acceptable.<\/p>\n – 3mm: Tyre is nearly 80% worn. Tyre experts recommend changing to new tyres.<\/p>\n – 2mm: Tyre is 95% worn. Extremely worrying.<\/p>\n – 6mm: The tyre is now at its minimum legal limit. Replace now!<\/p>\n – Under 1.6mm: Your tyres are illegal!<\/p>\n To avoid bad tyre tread depth, and a loss of grip, Asda Tyres and Continental urge drivers to check their treads on a regular basis. You don\u2019t even need to own a tread depth gauge \u2013 instead you can take the quick and easy 20p Test<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n The simple fact is that the only contact made between your car and the road is from the contact patches of your tyres. When you think about it, that\u2019s not a lot, especially when you consider each patch it typically no larger than an iPhone. That\u2019s how important your really tyres are, and why it\u2019s vital to ensure that they\u2019re in tip top condition.<\/p>\n And that means making sure that each of your tyres has the right pressure. If you don\u2019t \u2013 whether they\u2019re either under inflated or over inflated \u2013 the outcome will be (avoidable) tyre degradation, and, as a result, the increased possibility of a loss of grip, and \u2013 worse still, in extreme circumstances \u2013 complete tyre failure.<\/p>\n Under inflated tyres have too much contact with the road, adversely affecting the optimal tyre shape so that it\u2019s too flat at the base. This leads to increased erosion of the tyre tread, and ultimately a reduction in grip with the road. With under inflated tyres, wear typically takes place at the edges, leading to uneven tyre wear. As a result, the handling characteristics of your vehicle are compromised.<\/p>\n Under inflated tyres are also softer than they need to be, and that means they\u2019re more prone to sustaining damage caused by sharp objects \u2013 such as nails and glass. Without enough pressure, there\u2019s a greater chance that objects like these won\u2019t simply glance off an under inflated tyre, and this increases your chances of getting a puncture.<\/p>\n Over inflated tyres increase your chances of having a high-speed blowout, because they\u2019re too stiff and rigid, lacking the flexibility they require to function optimally. They\u2019re particularly vulnerable to sudden impacts, like those juddering experiences when you hit a pothole, or run into debris on the road.<\/p>\n And as when under inflated, they over inflated tyres incur avoidable tyre wear as well, though in this case the deteriation takes place on the centre of the tyre. This results in a loss of tyre tread just where it makes most contact with the road, and where you need the most grip.<\/p>\n You can typically find the correct tyre pressure values for your vehicle either printed on the inside of its fuel cap, or inside the driver door.<\/p>\n Pressure readings are usually at their most accurate when the tyres are cold. As such, check them before you set off on a journey, or when you fill up at the petrol station.<\/p>\n The process is straight forward enough. First, take off the tyre\u2019s valve dust cover, and attach the air hose to the nozzle. The hose is designed to measure tyre pressure. Next, either top up, or release air, until the pressures are correct for all wheels. Simple, yet so important!<\/p>\n Get in the habit of regularly checking your pressures<\/a> to avoid under or over inflated tyres, especially if you\u2019re setting off on a long journey, such as for a driving holiday \u2013 when your car may be laden with additional weight that puts more stress on your tyres. And if you enjoy a caravan holiday<\/a>, it\u2019s vital that you ensure all vehicles have the appropriate tyre pressures.<\/p>\n It sounds obvious, but if you get in the habit of regularly checking your tyres, you\u2019ll go a long way to achieving the level of tyre safety you need. You can start with ensuring you have good tyre treads, and that your tyre pressures are correct, as outlined above, but there are other crucial considerations.<\/p>\n Your tyre sidewall \u2013 the part of your tyre that absorbs most of the stresses that they have to withstand \u2013 are susceptible to damage from nicks, cuts, scrapes and bulges, particularly if they are under inflated. And of course sharp objects, like glass, nails and stones, can cause punctures. Despite this, there are ways of avoiding tyre damage<\/a><\/strong>, through careful driving and being aware of your surrounding.<\/p>\n It\u2019s true. While tyres may all look the same to the uninitiated, we know from experience that some tyres are significantly better than others. The old adage \u201cyou get what you pay for\u201d is especially true of tyres. Opting to fit cheaper tyres to your car may seem like a good way to save some money in the short term, but in the long term it\u2019s a false economy.<\/p>\n Why? Because the compounds that cheaper tyres are usually made from aren\u2019t as good as those used to make premium tyres. In an exact like for like usage comparison, cheaper tyres will wear quicker than premium tyres. As a result, they\u2019ll lose their tread depth sooner too, and that means reduced grip \u2013 especially in wet weather conditions. Simply put, premium tyres are safer.<\/p>\n So why are premium tyre compounds superior? At the heart of the answer is a continuous, ever increasing investment in tyre research and development<\/a><\/strong>. Premium tyre manufacturers, like Continental, spend millions each year developing better and better compounds, resulting in safer, higher quality tyres. Why? Because motorists demand a better, safer tyre, and so too do the world\u2019s leading automotive manufacturers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s this demand for a better premium tyre that\u2019s resulted in one in every three new cars that roll off the factory floors in Europe being fitted with Continental \u201cOE\u201d \u2013 Original Equipment<\/a><\/strong>. These are tyres designed for a specific vehicle make and model, developed in partnership to bring out its best driving, handling, and safety characteristics.<\/p>\n This investment in premium tyre research and development has also resulted in Continental creating a series of tyre technologies that provide motorists with additional levels of driver safety. Tyres fitted with their ContiSeal\u2122 and SSR (Self-Supporting Runflat<\/a><\/strong>) extended mobility solutions postpone the need to immediately change tyres in the event of a puncture. Both technologies allow drivers to safely travel to a nearby garage, and make the necessary tyre change in a controlled, secure environment \u2013 rather than on the side of a busy road, where high speed traffic passing by can be dangerous.<\/p>\n Continental\u2019s ContiSeal\u2122 and SSR extended mobility solutions are available across their range of premium tyre products, including the ContiSportContact\u2122 5<\/a>,<\/strong> and the ContiEcoContact\u2122 5<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Incredible as it is to believe, there are drivers on the road who \u2013 knowingly or not \u2013 endanger all of our lives because of their tyres. These motorists choose to fit part worn tyres to their vehicles. And while this practice is actually legal in the UK, tyre experts like us, Continental, and TyreSafe are continually campaigning to have part worns banned.<\/p>\n Why? Because \u2013 as the name suggests \u2013 part worn tyres<\/a><\/strong> have previously been driven on by their original owners. This means that by the time they\u2019ve been resold to a second owner, the remaining tread depth is typically so low as to only provide minimal grip.<\/p>\n And with part worn tyres there\u2019s also a high possibility of tyre damage too. A recent BBC Scotland investigation revealed very worrying findings, following the inspection of a sample of part worns purchased from garages in Glasgow and South Lanarkshire. 30% of tyres inspected were not safe to be put back on the road. A further 50% were sold without the legally required “part worn” stamp.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll recall how earlier in this tyre safety article we emphasised how important it is to have good tyre tread depth? Choosing to fit part worn tyres is the diametric opposite of our impartial, expert tyre safety advice. Frankly, we believe it\u2019s not just irresponsible to do so, but \u2013 figuratively speaking \u2013 criminal. Part worns are best avoided at all costs, without exception.<\/p>\n Winter tyres? Many UK drivers haven\u2019t even heard of them before. We won\u2019t be surpised if you haven\u2019t either, as experience tells us that the vast majority of motorists are unaware. And that\u2019s a pity, because \u2013 in the right weather conditions \u2013 winter tyres can save lives.<\/p>\n Strictly speaking, they\u2019re not just for winter. The name \u2018winter tyres\u2019 is misleading, and part of the reason why so few UK drivers fit them to their cars. Many assume they\u2019re made for use in snowy conditions, something we don\u2019t get too much of in Britain. And while it\u2019s true that winter tyres are better in the snow than regular summer tyres, their characteristics and qualities really come into their own in cold weather conditions<\/em> \u2013 7\u00b0C and below. It\u2019s fair to say that\u2019s something we do experience a lot in the UK.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all down to the compounds that they\u2019re made of. Winter tyres are made with softer compounds than summer tyres. They can cope with the 7\u00b0C and below temperatures, and as a result provide better grip when it\u2019s cold. That means shorter stopping distances in cold, wet, icy conditions<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n In mainland Europe, they have an established safety culture wherby all drivers switch to winter tyres when the temperature drops. In the UK, we don\u2019t. And when winter arrives, German, French, Dutch and Northern European drivers manage to cope fine on the roads, no matter the cold, snowy, icy conditions.<\/p>\n In the UK, when we get just a sprinkling of snow, or a little ice, the whole country seems to grind to a halt, paralysed. And yet we don\u2019t seem to ever learn the lesson \u2013 winter tyres make a significant difference in cold weather conditions. Tyres like Continental\u2019s WinterContact\u2122 TS 860 offers drivers maximum safety on wet and icy surfaces \u2013 so much so that leading UK car magazine, Auto Express, have named it their Winter Tyre Test Winner for two years running.<\/p>\nSo what\u2019s the difference between good tread depth and bad?<\/h3>\n
Tread depth \/ tyre wear comparison<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nMake sure you have the correct tyre pressures \u2013 it really matters<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nGetting your tyre pressures right<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nRegularly check for tyre damage<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nFact: some tyres are better than other tyres<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nExtended mobility solutions offer an extra level of tyre safety<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nAvoid part worn tyres at all costs<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThe best kept tyre safety secret in the UK: winter tyres<\/h2>\n
What makes winter tyres different?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nIf you need more driver safety advice, talk to Asda Tyres<\/h2>\n