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Tyres > Help > Tyres Help > Why are tyres treaded?
Why do tyres have grooves? Tyre tread is essential for maintaining a safe driving experience. They provide your tyres with the grip they need to stay in contact with the road and ensure a smooth acceleration, as well as helping you to brake quickly and safely.
What Are the Benefits Of Having Enough Tyre Tread?
Having tyre tread has many benefits. From improved performance in wet weather due to better traction, reduced stopping distances due to better braking power, improved fuel efficiency thanks to reduced rolling resistance, reduced noise levels while driving, and fewer vibrations while driving.
What Is Tyre Tread?
Tyre tread is the pattern of groves and ridges that you’ll find on the surface of most tyres. These grooves help to improve grip and traction when driving in wet or slippery conditions, as they help channel water away from the contact patch with the road surface. Without tyre tread, it would be much harder for your car to maintain grip when driving in wet weather.
Why Is Tread Depth Important?
It’s not just having tyre tread that matters - it’s also important to make sure that the depth of each groove is sufficient enough for maximum performance and safety.
The legal minimum depth in most countries is 1.6mm – any less than this and it could be dangerous to drive as there won't be enough grip between the tyre and road surface.
It's recommended that you check your tyres regularly using a gauge or 20p coin, which can tell you whether or not your tyres need replacing due to lack of adequate tread depth.
How Do I Know If My Tyres Need Replacing?
If your tyres have less than 1.6mm depth, then they need replacing immediately; this is both illegal and unsafe.
You can measure this yourself using either a gauge or 20p coin; if either device shows that there's less than 1.6mm then it's time for new tyres.
Additionally if you notice any irregular wear patterns such as bald spots then these could be signs that something else might be wrong with either the wheel alignment or suspension system - so it's best to get these checked out by a professional.