Firstly, it is perhaps a good idea to mention what the legal limit is for worn tyres. The minimum tread depth should be 1.6 millimetres covering the middle ¾ of tread that goes completely around the tyre’s circumference. You may not be aware but you can easily have your tyres checked for free by taking your car to one of the major tyre replacement specialists.
Worn tyres can affect your car insurance
The short answer to the above question is: “Yes, your car insurance may well be affected if you are caught with worn tyres that are below the legal limit.”
In any event, surely you would not wish to drive with tyres that are worn below the legal limit as you are more likely to be involved in a road traffic accident. For instance, worn tyres are not as effective whether it is dry, wet or icy on the roads so, surely, from a safety point of view you would want to ensure that your vehicle is safe to drive. You owe it to yourself, your passengers and other road users and pedestrians to make sure your tyres are roadworthy.
If your car were involved in an accident and your tyres were checked and found to be worn below the legal limit your insurance company may refuse to meet your insurance claim. Furthermore, for each worn tyre, you could be fined up to £2,500 and receive 3 penalty points on your driving license. So, if all four tyres were worn you could face a fine of £10,000 and receive 12 points. You car insurance premium would no doubt increase if you had points on your driving license.
As you can see, your car insurance could be affected quite significantly if you are found to have worn tyres that are below the legal limit so, to be on the safe side, why not take your car and have them checked. Better to be safe than sorry!
