Top car mechanic Scotty Kilmer has urged road users to “replace” one of the most important parts on second-hand vehicles. The leading mechanic warned motorists had to fit brand new tyres if their tread was starting to wear thin.
Tyre tread is an important feature with the grooved surface making direct contact with the surface. Tread is vital for providing grip and traction on the road, channelling water away in wet conditions. Over time, the tread will wear out, making it less effective and possibly even dangerous in the rain.
In the title of a video uploaded to his channel, Scotty stressed road users had to “replace” their tyres “now” if they noticed tread was becoming an issue.
Speaking on the clip, Scotty said: “Today I’m going to talk about car tyres and rain. Now if you’ve ever noticed, drag cars have big wide tyres with all rubber, no tread, on the ground. All that rubber lets them accelerate fast.
“But a tyre with no tread and all rubber, when it rains, it’s useless and will slip like mad. Now your car’s tread may be running real thin. It will run fine when it’s dry but when it’s running it will slip all over the place.
“So every once in a while, look at your car’s tread, make sure there is still a lot of tread depth like this one.”
Fellow YouTube users quickly took to the comments section, urging individuals to take immediate action when they start to notice problems.
@Nick41622 said: “When you see that your tyres are down to the wire, it’s time to replace them.”
@lionellover61 posted: “Experience is the best teacher. Scotty really knows his stuff!”
@stolmich added: “We use a one euro coin, to measure the tread. If the outer ring is visible, then the tires need to be replaced.”
The RAC has warned motorists could be fined up to £2,500 and issued three penalty points for each tyre that is under the legal tread depth limit. It means road users travelling with four worn tyres could have their licence revoked and slapped with a £10,000 bill. The RAC also admitted the issue is a major cause of MOT failures in the UK in another serious concern.
They explained: “The legal tyre tread depth limit for cars in the UK and Europe is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre. By law, the tread depth must meet this minimum requirement across its complete circumference.
“Bald tyres are one of the most common reasons for MOT fails, which is why it’s essential that you get into the habit of checking your car’s tyres regularly.”