Tyres and the Law
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.
Tyre Speed Markings
Speed
 |
Maximum car speed for which tyre is suitable
|
| Symbol |
km/h |
mph |
| N |
140 |
87 |
| P |
150 |
94 |
| Q |
160 |
100 |
| R |
170 |
105 |
| S |
180 |
113 |
| T |
190 |
118 |
| U |
200 |
125 |
| H |
210 |
130 |
| V |
240 |
150 |
| W |
270 |
168 |
| Z |
300 |
186 |
Tyre load markings
| Load Index |
Max Load KGs |
 |
Load Index |
Max Load KGs |
|
Load Index |
Max Load KGs |
| 65 |
290 |
|
76 |
400 |
|
87 |
545 |
| 66 |
300 |
|
77 |
412 |
|
88 |
560 |
| 67 |
303 |
|
78 |
425 |
|
89 |
580 |
| 68 |
315 |
|
79 |
437 |
|
90 |
600 |
| 69 |
325 |
|
80 |
450 |
|
91 |
615 |
| 70 |
335 |
|
81 |
462 |
|
92 |
630 |
| 71 |
345 |
|
82 |
475 |
|
93 |
650 |
| 72 |
355 |
|
83 |
487 |
|
94 |
670 |
| 73 |
365 |
|
84 |
500 |
|
95 |
680 |
| 74 |
375 |
|
85 |
515 |
|
96 |
710 |
| 75 |
387 |
|
86 |
530 |
|
97 |
730 |
