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Bald Tyre Fine – What Can You Expect?

Well-maintained tyres are an essential feature of any vehicle, helping you to stay safe on the roads, particularly in wet or icy conditions. If you are caught driving with tyres below the legal minimum tread depth, you could be handed a bald tyre fine of up to £2,500 per tyre.

In this article, we’ll explain more about the minimum legal requirements for your car’s tyres, as well as discussing in more depth the penalties that you could receive if you are caught driving with worn tyres in the UK.

Is It Illegal To Drive With A Bald Tyre?

Driving with a bald tyre, or with tyres that have tread that falls below the minimum legal limit, is illegal. That’s because not only does it pose a risk to you as the driver, but it can also cause a hazard to other road users including other drivers, motorcyclists and pedestrians.

When your tyres are lacking tread, your stopping distances will be increased as you have less grip on the road. This means that your braking will be less effective and you are more likely to have an accident on the roads.

Bald tyres are also at higher risk of failing or suffering a blowout. This can be dangerous in any situation, but the risks are increased if you are travelling at high speeds such as on a motorway.

That’s why it’s illegal to drive with tyres that fall below the minimum tread depth. This is a law that helps to keep all road users safe, so there can be strict penalties if you fail to abide by this rule. But what is the legal minimum tread depth, and what are the penalties if you are caught driving with bald tyres? Read on to find out.


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What Is Legal Tyre Tread Depth

What Is Legal Tyre Tread Depth?

In the UK, the legal minimum tread depth for tyres is 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the tyre. This means that if you are caught driving with any of your tyres having less than 1.6mm of tread, you could receive a fine, as well as a penalty point endorsement on your driving licence.

New car tyres begin their life with around 8 – 9mm of tread depth. This gradually wears down during use, eventually losing grip as the tread wears down. Research conducted by the MIRA discovered that stopping distances increased dramatically when a tyre dropped below 3mm of tread. However, they also found that the difference in braking distances in wet conditions between a tyre of 3mm and a tyre of 1.6mm was up to 44%.

How To Check Your Tyre Tread Depth

The easiest way to check your tyre tread depth is to use a tyre tread depth gauge. This is a simple, handheld tool that you can purchase from any motor accessory shop.

If you don’t have a tyre tread depth gauge to hand, you can also use a 20p coin. Place the coin into the main groove of the tyre. If you can see the outer band of the coin, your tread depth is below 1.6mm and you will need to purchase a new tyre.

It’s recommended that you check the depth of your tyre tread every two weeks, as well as before going on a long journey.

What Is The Penalty For A Bald Tyre?

We now know that the minimum legal tyre tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm. But what happens if you are caught driving with a bald tyre?

If you are stopped by police when you are driving with tyres below the legal minimum tread depth, you are likely to be given a fine. This fine can be up to £2,500 per tyre, making driving with worn tyres an expensive mistake to make.

So, if you are found driving a car with one tyre that has worn tread, the fine that you are given could be up to £2,500. However, if you are driving a vehicle with all four tyres having worn tread, you could be hit with a fine of up to £10,000, as the total fine is calculated per tyre.

If you are driving a company vehicle, you are still responsible for the tyres of that vehicle as the driver. This is because you are still responsible for ensuring that the vehicle you are driving is safe and roadworthy, even if it isn’t owned by you. That means you can still be fined up to £2,500 per tyre, even if you are driving a commercial vehicle. Not only that, but the business could also be hit with a fine of up to £20,000, as the owner of the vehicle.

How Many Points Do You Get For A Bald Tyre In The UK?

If you have been caught driving with worn tyres, you might be wondering how many penalty points you can expect your driving licence to be endorsed with. After all, no motorist wants to be at risk of losing their driving licence.

The fine for driving with a tyre below the minimum legal tread depth is severe, at up to £2,500 per tyre. However, that isn’t the end, as you could also be given penalty points on your driving licence if you are caught.

In the UK, drivers caught driving with bald tyres can be awarded three penalty points on their driving licence, for each tyre that falls below the legal minimum tread depth. That means that if all four of your tyres are bald, you could receive up to 12 penalty points on your driving licence, leading to a driving ban.


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Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for friendly advice


What Is A CU30 Conviction

What Is A CU30 Conviction?

If you are caught driving a vehicle with defective tyres, you may receive a CU30 conviction. This will be issued as a result of failing to maintain your tyres in such a way as to ensure they remain roadworthy. This is because tyres contribute to the overall roadworthiness of a vehicle and are essential in keeping vehicles safe while they are being driven.

When you receive a CU30 conviction for driving a vehicle with defective tyres, you may also receive a fine of up to £2,500 for each tyre that was defective. This means that you could be handed a fine of up to £10,000 if all of your tyres are worn. Your driving licence may also be endorsed with three penalty points for each of the tyres in question, up to a total of 12 points for four tyres.

If you reach 12 penalty points on your driving licence, you will usually be given an automatic ‘totting up’ driving ban. This means that you will be disqualified from driving. If this is your first disqualification within a three year period, the disqualification will last for six months. However, if you have already been disqualified from driving in the past three years, the ban will be longer.

How Long Does A CU30 Stay On Your Licence?

If you have received a CU30 conviction, you might be wondering how long it will stay on your driving licence. A CU30 conviction will stay on your driving licence for three years, and you may find that your car insurance premiums increase as a result of the conviction. This is because you are seen as a higher risk to insurance companies if they think that you may not maintain your vehicle properly.

After three years, your CU30 conviction will be removed from your driving licence. At this point, you should notice your car insurance premiums reduce back to their normal level.

Defending A CU30 Case

If you have been accused of driving a vehicle with defective tyres, you might be wondering whether you can defend this accusation and avoid being awarded a fine or penalty points.

You may be pleased to learn that it is possible to defend a CU30 case, or appeal this type of conviction if you have already been convicted. The most common defence to this case is that the driver would not have been aware of the defect, for example if the problem with the tyres occurred whilst they were driving.

If you have been charged with driving a vehicle with defective tyres, it’s important to seek legal advice from an experienced motoring defence solicitor. At Caddick Davies, we have successfully defended numerous CU30 cases, as well as appealing CU30 convictions.

Need advice on a CU30 conviction? Click here for specialist legal advice

Is It Safe To Drive With Low Tread

Is It Safe To Drive With Low Tread?

If your tyre tread is running low, it can be tempting to continue driving your vehicle until you can have your tyres replaced.  However, it is never safe to drive with low tread on your tyres. Your tyres are the only thing that separates you and other drivers from the road, so it’s important that they are always in good condition.

When tyre tread depth has reached 1.6mm, or below, it becomes illegal to use them on a public road. If you continue to drive on tyres with low tread, you are putting not only yourself but other drivers at risk.

If your tyres are balding or severely worn, it is not safe to drive your car even on a private road.


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Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for friendly advice


Related Questions

How Many Points Is 4 Bald Tyres?

If you are caught driving with worn tyres, you are likely to receive a fine, as well as penalty points. This is awarded per tyre, so if you have four worn tyres, you will receive four fines and four penalty point endorsements. The maximum fine that can be awarded for driving with defective tyres is £2,500 per tyre, along with three penalty points. So, if you are caught driving with four bald tyres, you could receive a fine of up to £10,000, along with up to 12 penalty points being endorsed onto your driving licence.

Do You Have To Tell Insurance About Points Straight Away?

When you take out a car insurance policy, you will be asked whether you have any penalty point endorsements on your driving licence. However, if you are given any penalty points during the course of your policy, you may be required to inform your insurer immediately. You will need to check the terms and conditions of your insurance policy to find out whether your insurer requires you to inform them immediately of the penalty points, or whether you can wait until it comes to renewing your policy.

If you do not tell your insurer about the conviction despite the terms and conditions of insuring requiring you to do so, you could risk invalidating your insurance policy. If this is the case, you may risk a further conviction for driving without insurance if you are stopped by police or involved in an accident.

In Summary

Tyres naturally wear down throughout their lifespan. Whilst new tyres typically begin their life with between 8 and 9mm of tread, they will slowly wear down as the vehicle is driven. The legal minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm, but stopping distances will gradually increase when the tread depth reaches 3mm. For this reason, it’s always best to get your car tyres replaced when the tread dips below 3mm, ensuring the safety of yourself and other road users, as well as reducing the risk of the tread going below the legal minimum limit.

If you have received a bald tyre fine or a CU30 conviction, it’s important to seek specialist legal advice as soon as possible. At Caddick Davies, we specialise in motoring defence law, and we are on your side. We can examine your case and discuss possible defences with you, giving you options for your CU30 conviction. Contact us today to discuss your case with an experienced motoring defence solicitor.


Contact Caddick Davies Solicitors today
Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for friendly advice


 

Motoring Lawyer at Caddick Davies Solicitors
Caddick Davies is recognised as one of England and Wales’ leading motoring law firms, offering specialist Speeding Solicitors, Drink Driving Solicitors & Dangerous Driving Solicitors.We provide advice and representation on all motoring offences including speeding, the avoidance of disqualification on penalty points or “totting up” (exceptional hardship), driving without due care and attention (careless driving), dangerous driving, drink driving, as well as a range of services related to medical revocation of a driving licence.
Neil Davies

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