Worn Tyres More Dangerous Than Phone Use at the Wheel, New Research Finds

Australia’s legal minimum tread depth is 1.5mm, almost identical to the UK’s 1.6mm limit. So when new UK research put a number on the risk of driving on legally worn tyres, the findings land just as hard here.

The study, led by Professor Peter Wells at Cardiff University’s Centre for Automotive Industry Research and commissioned by UK retailer Halfords, found that at motorway speeds a vehicle on tyres worn to the legal minimum needs around 27 extra metres to stop compared with a vehicle on tyres in good condition, roughly six car lengths. A driver using a mobile phone at the same speed adds around 15 metres to their stopping distance by comparison.

Below 40mph (around 65km/h) the two risks were roughly comparable, but above that speed worn tyres consistently added more stopping distance than phone distraction did, a finding directly relevant to Australian highway and freeway conditions.

The research also exposed a knowledge gap that will sound familiar to any workshop: only 28% of UK drivers correctly knew their legal tread limit, and just 7% believed worn tyres could be more dangerous than phone use.

With tread depth this close to home, it’s a timely reminder for Australian workshops to keep the 3mm replacement guideline front and centre in every customer conversation, well before tyres reach the legal minimum.