MOT is a mandatory annual test that ensures your vehicle is safe, roadworthy, and its emission standards are within the recommended limit. MOT was first introduced in 1960. Back then, only the steering system, brakes, and lights of a vehicle would get checked under the test. Since then, DVSA added several other aspects of a vehicle to the list of Matters of Testing, which created the complete MOT test in existence today.
The test regulations went through another overhaul in the 20th May 2018. Several new factors were added to the list, and components that already existed in it came under more scrutiny as the British Government imposed safer road rules for its vehicle owners.
One of the car components that was least affected by this new regulation was car tyres. The new MOT rules did not change the minimum safety recommendation, nor did it affect any regulations on tread depth and other standards.
Let’s take a look at what the new rules say about your car tyres in Merthyr Tydfil or any other place in the UK.
The minimum MOT safety standards for car tyres
Your car’s tyres have to pass several safety standards to be roadworthy. It can fail an MOT test if its tyres fail to comply with any one of these regulations.
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Minimum tread depth – The minimum legal tread depth limit is 1.6mm throughout the central 3/4th section of a car’s tyres. It ensures that your vehicle generates adequate grip even during adverse road conditions and can stop within the recommended distance.
If your car’s tyres have less than recommended treads, its stopping distance can increase significantly, which can lead to an unfortunate accident. A vehicle travelling at 50mph will take approximately 39.5meters to stop with 1.6mm of tread depth.
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Damage on the carcass of the tyre – Visible damage on a tyre’s carcass like bulges, cuts, etc. larger than 25mm will cause an immediate failure in the MOT test.
Also, the tester may consider your vehicle unsafe for road-use if there is any impact damage on a tyre’s sidewall. It is especially apparent with low-profile tyres; if you drive over a speed breaker or toll-limiter at high speeds, the sudden impact can snap the carcass and cause in-body separation.
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Ply separation – Radial tyres come with several layers of material that intersect each other and form the actual carcass. These include nylon overlays, steel belts, cap and radial plies, which provides both the strength and flexibility to a tyre.
However, with continuous usage, these layers often wear out, causing separation throughout the tyre’s carcass. It can render that unit useless as it loses its structural stability and effectiveness.
DVSA mandates that the tyres on a car should not have visible wear on any part of its carcass that exposes its inner ply.
Your car’s tyres in Merthyr Tydfil should comply with all the above-mentioned regulations to be roadworthy for use in the UK. Also, remember to buy high-quality tyres instead of their cheaper counterparts when you are purchasing new units. Reputable car garages like Tyreman Merthyr has a wide variety of good quality car tyres that they sell at affordable prices.