Auto Express Tests Show Benefits of 3mm Tread Depth

Thousands of road accidents in the UK could be prevented every year if the minimum tyre tread depth was increased to 3mm, according to the findings of an Auto Express investigation. In the first magazine test of its kind, Auto Express compared the stopping distances of a car travelling at 70 mph with both 3mm and 1.6mm of tread depth.

According to the test, it can take 44 metres more for a car to stop at motorway speeds in the rain if its rubber is on the legal limit. Chris Wakley, from the Tyre Industry Council commented: “These new findings are shocking. They show for the first time how dramatic the reduction in braking performance can be between tyres with 3mm and 1.6mm of tread at motorway speeds in the wet. It also indicates that a change in the law is certainly worth considering.”