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How To Check Your Tyre Tread

Most drivers might not think about checking their tyre tread, but it's a crucial car maintenance step which helps prevent serious accidents. The grooves of your tyre tread direct water away from the tyre, improving its grip on the road and preventing a loss of control when stopping, starting, or turning in the wet. If your tyre tread isn't 3mm or higher, your car won't hold up as well on wet or slippery roads, will be less difficult to handle more generally, and will lose tyre air pressure quicker. If you're wondering how to check your tyre tread in the first place, read on - we've put together this handy how-to guide with everything you need to know.

Check Your Tyre's Tread Wear Bars

You might be surprised to know that measuring your tyre's tread depth is easy - you won't even need advanced equipment or a visit to your local workshop to get it done. Most modern tyres come with tread wear bars or tread wear indicators (TWI) situated in the longitudinal grooves. These offer a straightforward visual indication of the tread depth of your tyres - when your tread's reached the wear indicators, a new tyre is needed.

Use A 20c Coin

For tyres that don't have TWI, checking the thread is just as easy - and all you'll need is a 20c coin. Simply place your coin into one of the central grooves on your tyre, using the coin's design to judge the depth. If your tyre tread isn't deep enough to reach the platypus's bill, you know it's dangerously low and that a tyre replacement is your next step. If your tyre tread is below 1.6mm, your vehicle is unroadworthy. For Queensland drivers, this isn't great news. Having just one worn tyre can leave you slapped with an on-the-spot $110 fine and one demerit. An illegal bald tyre sees you fined up to $220 and receive three demerits.

If your tyre's tread does reach the bill of the platypus, you know you have enough tread left on your tyres but you'll soon need new ones, especially if you do a lot of driving.

Keep Your Tyres Maintained

New tyres should come with around 8mm of tread. Their lifespan will depend on your driving style, braking habits, the frequency of your tyre rotation, and the level of tyre air pressure. Looking after your tyres will ensure they last as long as possible - between 50,000 and 100,000 kilometres.

Your tyres will wear more quickly if you drive on rough roads, if there's high UV radiation, or if you do a lot of driving. It's important to check your tyres regularly to make sure they're above the legal limit to keep you and other drivers safe on Gold Coast roads.

Unsure About Your Tyre Tread? Contact A1 Supercheap Tyres

If you're looking for quality tyres on the Gold Coast, choose the best in the region - A1 Supercheap Tyres. With over ten years in business, our team knows what makes a quality tyre, and we pride ourselves on our professionalism, attention to detail, and cost-effective products and services. Give us a call today at (07) 5539 5326 to speak to one of our friendly team members or to make an appointment for a tyre inspection or assessment. You can also submit an enquiry via our simple online contact form and one of our team members will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

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