The UK faces a tyre safety crisis, with two in five (40%) of vehicles on the road today running on tyres that are either outright illegal or dangerously close to the limit.
That’s the stark warning from the National Tyre Distributors Association with its TyreCheck 2025 report – the largest study of its kind ever undertaken in the UK studying the tyres found on vehicles in fitting centres.
Ian Andrew, CEO of the NTDA, said, “This report should serve as a wake-up call for every motorist in the UK. The fact that nearly two in five vehicles are running on tyres that are either illegal or dangerously close to it is shocking. The tragedy is that this isn’t just a technical issue – it’s about lives at risk every single day on our roads. Legal doesn’t always mean safe and drivers are leaving tyre replacement far too late. We urgently need to move beyond minimum standards and make tyre safety a national priority.”
The NTDA is calling for urgent action, including raising the legal minimum tread depth from 1.6mm to 2.0mm, targeted interventions in high-risk hot-spots and greater financial support for motorists struggling with replacement costs.
With stopping distances doubling in wet conditions on tyres worn below 2mm, and fines of up to GBP2,500 per tyre and three penalty points for those caught driving illegally, the message to drivers is clear: delaying replacement is gambling not just with your wallet, but with lives.
