European
Regulations – "E" Marking
Radial car and 4x4 tyres are type approved in accordance
with ECE regulations, and carry the requisite mark
on the tyre’s sidewall, for example, E3 0162.
Consumer protection regulations prohibit the sale
of car radial or 4x4 tyres which are not "E"
marked.
Minimum
Legal Tread Depth
The main reason a tyre has tread is to disperse
water efficiently. The less tread you have, the
more likely you are to skid or aquaplane on wet
roads and lose steering control.
It is illegal to run a tyre with less than 1.6mm
of tread round the entire outer circumference of
the tyre. Tyre manufacturers build a number of tread
wear indicator bars into the tread area of their
tyres which become visible at 1.6mm. These serve
as a useful visual reminder to change your tyres.
However, wet weather braking and cornering efficiency
reduce considerably as the tyre wears down and Valuetyres.co.uk strongly advises that you change your tyres
before you reach the legal limit.
The penalty for driving with illegal tyres on your
car is very severe. There is a compulsory driving
licence endorsement of three penalty points and
a fine of up to £2,500 for each illegal tyre.
Relative
stopping distances of tyres (not
to scale)
Radial and
Cross Ply Tyres
You can fit different makes of tyre on the same
axle or on different axles providing they are all
the same size and type of construction.
It is illegal to fit cross ply and radial construction
tyres on the same axle and to fit cross ply tyres
on the rear axle with radial or bias belted tyres
on the front axle.
It is not advisable to mix winter or on/off road
tyres with normal road tyres.
Tyre Speed
and Load Markings
All tyres are marked with their load carrying and
speed capabilities. For maximum safety, it is important
that the tyres you choose are suitable for the maximum
speed at which your car can be driven. The law requires
that in terms of load carrying and speed capability
the tyre fitted must be suitable for the purpose
to which the vehicle will be put.
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