One in five drivers ‘rarely or never’ check their tyres despite potential £10,000 fine

One in five motorists ‘rarely or never’ check their tyre tread depths despite a potential fine of up to £2,500 per tyre.

That’s according to new data from Close Brothers Motor Finance, which spoke to 2,001 drivers about their car maintenance habits in response to an RAC study which revealed that over 10,000 drivers received penalty points last year for unroadworthy vehicles.

The research found that 88 per cent of respondents fail to always check their tyre tread depth, while a fifth ‘rarely or never’ check it at all. This comes despite the possibility of up to three penalty points and fines of up to £2,500 per tyre.

The current UK tyre tread limit is 1.6mm, though it’s recommended that drivers change their tyres well before they reach this level.

The study also found that only 15 per cent of motorists always check their tyre pressures before a trip, with the remainder skipping it regularly. Another fifth rarely or never check their engine oil levels and nearly a quarter say that they ‘rarely or never’ bother to conduct winter safety checks.

John Cassidy, managing director of Close Brothers Motor Finance, commented: “Whilst it is all too easy to dismiss routine checks as just another chore, driving an unmaintained vehicle poses an immediate threat to road safety and carries significant penalties.

“Simple checks such as monitoring tyre pressure, oil levels and tread depth take only a few minutes but can make a vital difference to both safety and reliability.