Bald tyres offence?

thestar

Could anybody tell me what usually happens when the gardai come across a car with bald tyres? Is it an offence per se?

dennyk

I'd imagine it would fall under the "Driving dangerously defective vehicle" offence, which is a court fine and five points. No idea how rigorously they enforce it, but it's probably not worth the risk. Not to mention it's really unsafe to be driving around in the wet on bald tires anyway; do yourself a favor and just spend the money to get new ones. You'll need 'em for your next NCT in any case.

ofcork

Pic on the garda twitter thread of a car stopped with a bald front tyre.

CiniO

When driving on dry surface, bald tyre doesn't cause direct danger.

coylemj

It probably depends on how much or little tread is remaining. If it's as bad as the one posted on Twitter recently and mentioned by the previous poster, I'd say you'd be up for driving a dangerously defective vehicle. It's possible that if you had just under the legal minimum (at least 1.6mm tread depth across 75% of the width of the tyre), they may just do you under the regulations as a technical offence so it would be in the same league as having a non-working indicator bulb.

porsche boy

A tyre with less than 1.6mm of thread across the centre 70% of the tyre is considered illegal. Your car could be seized. I have had a few occasions where the driver was given the option of driving to the nearest garage to get replacement tyres or allow the car to be seized.

CiniO

porsche boy wrote: »

A tyre with less than 1.6mm of thread across the centre 70% of the tyre is considered illegal.

There's nothing in the legislation centre 70% of the tyre.
If it's less then 1.6 on any part of the tread, then it's illegal.

savagethegoat

why would you want to drive on a bald tyre? they are relatively cheap and all that stands between you and eternity.

Truckermal

savagethegoat wrote: »

why would you want to drive on a bald tyre? they are relatively cheap and all that stands between you and eternity.

1.6 is nearly bald anyway I normally change when they slip below 3mm.

biko

I didn't look for the actual legislation but

The legal minimum tread depth in Europe is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread width and round its entire circumference.

http://www.michelin.ie/tyres/learn-share/care-guide/tyre-tread-wear

Water John

I thought that 1.6mm was changed?

dennyk

CiniO wrote: »

When driving on dry surface, bald tyre doesn't cause direct danger.

True, but we're talking about driving in Ireland here. :pac:

GM228

If your car is a vintage pre 1931 then you only need 1mm!

How many here on Boards would that even apply to I wonder?

coylemj

CiniO wrote: »

There's nothing in the legislation centre 70% of the tyre.
If it's less then 1.6 on any part of the tread, then it's illegal.

No Cinio, you need to have 1.6mm or more in the middle 75% of the tread, not across the full width. That means that the outer 1/8 of the width of the tread on either side is disregarded.

Here is the failure criteria in the NCT manual....

Depth of less than 1 .6mm in the central three-quarters of the tread pattern.

Page 66 ...

https://www.ncts.ie/media/1004/nct-manual-july-2014.pdf

greasepalm

why would you try driving a car on bald tyres knowing what may happen if you have an accident and if you carry passengers and their safety?

coylemj

greasepalm wrote: »

why would you try driving a car on bald tyres knowing what may happen if you have an accident and if you carry passengers and their safety?

They operate under the same mentality as the people who refuse to wear a seat belt - 'I'm such a good driver that it will never happen to me'.

SBPhoto

You are also liable to void your insurance if you have an accident with bald tyres.

CiniO

coylemj wrote: »

No Cinio, you need to have 1.6mm or more in the middle 75% of the tread, not across the full width. That means that the outer 1/8 of the width of the tread on either side is disregarded.

Here is the failure criteria in the NCT manual....

Depth of less than 1 .6mm in the central three-quarters of the tread pattern.

Page 66 ...

https://www.ncts.ie/media/1004/nct-manual-july-2014.pdf

Yes, but middle 75% of the tread applies only to NCT criteria.


While driving on public road, you need the whole main groove of tyre tread to be above 1.6mm.

(7) ( a ) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of this sub-article, a mechanically propelled vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer shall not be used on a road if any wheel is fitted with a pneumatic tyre and:—

(vi) in the case of vehicles other than mechanical propelled cycles, or vehicles first registered before the 31st day of December, 1930 the main grooves of the tread pattern of the tyre do not have a depth of at least 1.6 millimetres throughout a continuous band around the entire outer circumference of the tyre, or

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1991/si/358/made/en/print

MascotDec85

A car travelling at 112 km/h (70mph) going into an emergency braking situation with 1.6mm thread depth will stop 40 metres AFTER a car with 3mm tread depth.
At the point when the car with 3mm tread stops the car with 1.6mm can still be doing around 80 km/h

Your tyres are your only point of contact and should not be neglected.

ED E

Galway car stopped 4 bald tyres in dangerous condition. Driver not allowed continue on journey. Summonsed to court

If you have bald tyres + another offence it (serious) they appear to be of a mind to seize the vehicle.

If you cant stop you endanger everyone else as much as yourself, anyone who considers it is an unsafe driver and should be treated as such.

GM228

CiniO wrote: »

If it's less then 1.6 on any part of the tread, then it's illegal.

"Any part" is not correct, middle 75% only as pointed out.

CiniO wrote: »

Yes, but middle 75% of the tread applies only to NCT criteria.

As per legislation it's the middle 75% of the width of the tread surface (which is the main groove). The entire circumference of the tyre is not the same as the width of the tyre.

Do you genuinely think the NCT can test to a lesser standard than the required legislation? That's a potential of them missing 25% of a tyre and possibly passing a car with an illegal tyre! Thankfully the NCT must test cars to the legal minimum standard, they don't pick their own criteria which is contrary to the legal standard.

There is no minimum legal thread depth to the other 25% of a tyre (except to pre 1931 cars which require a minimum legal thread depth of 1mm to the entire width of the tyre and on condition the car is rarely on the road.)

9935452

coylemj wrote: »

They operate under the same mentality as the people who refuse to wear a seat belt - 'I'm such a good driver that it will never happen to me'.

The problem is no matter what a good driver you are, someone else will kill you

Boskowski

9935452 wrote: »

The problem is no matter what a good driver you are, someone else will kill you

Exactly, they guy with the bald tyres most likely.

vectra

savagethegoat wrote: »

why would you want to drive on a bald tyre? they are relatively cheap and all that stands between you and eternity.

More importantly,
Somebody elses eternity. !
Anyone driving on bald tyres should get punished.

Victor

CiniO wrote: »

When driving on dry surface, bald tyre doesn't cause direct danger.

The problem there is that (a) the road itself may not have much grip and (b) it rains in this country.

beauf

I say the compound would be well past it's best by the time it's bald age wise.