Express & Star

Drivers should still be checking tyres despite MOT suspension, says safety charity

Though MOT tests have been suspended, tyre tread depths should still be monitored closely.

Published
Tyre detail

Despite MOT tests being suspended to keep key workers moving during the coronavirus lockdown, drivers should still be checking their tyres, a safety charity has urged.

TyreSafe says that though the six-month exemption on MOTs has been introduced, it does not mean that the law governing the minimum legal tread depth of 1.6mm has been suspended too.

The charity is stating that drivers now have a greater responsibility for their own road safety and that they need to ensure that tyre pressures, tread depths and overall condition are monitored.

Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe Chairman said: “The need to make vehicles exempt from the MOT is regrettable from a road safety point of view but entirely understandable in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“However, drivers should be making certain when they drive, their vehicle is safe. With so many uncertainties and unexpected events happening to families and organisations all the time, drivers should not delay in carrying out these checks but instead be confident their car is roadworthy no matter what the reason for their essential journey.”

Vehicle owners should still be checking their vehicle’s tyre pressures using an accurate gauge, and adjusting accordingly if they don’t meet the manufacturer guidelines. The right tyre pressures for a vehicle can usually be found inside the filler cap cover or in the handbook.

Tread depth can also be checked by using a 20p piece – insert the coin to the tyre’s treads and if the border of the coin is visible, then the tyres are close to the legal limit.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.