How much tread is enough?

The legal minimum for car tyres is 1.6 mm of tread across the central three quarters of the tyre, all the way round.

In the wet, a tyre near the limit takes noticeably longer to stop than a new one. We suggest changing at around 3 mm, and we mark tyres below that as an advisory on the MOT.

A tread depth gauge costs a few pounds. Or drop in: we check tread and pressures for free while you wait (sample).