The legal minimum tread depth in Ireland is 1.6mm, but we'd change your tyres at 3mm, because wet-road stopping distances stretch out fast below that. Check your pressures once a month, have a quick look at the tread while you're at it, and if you're ever unsure, pop in to us for a free check.
Your tyres are the only part of your car that actually touches the road. Four patches of rubber, each roughly the size of your palm, doing all the gripping, braking and steering. They don't ask for much, but they do deserve a bit of attention.
Research from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) into fatal collisions between 2008 and 2012 linked defective tyres to 71 deaths in five years, which works out at around 14 lives a year. That's a sobering number for something so easy to check.
There's a legal side too. Driving on defective or worn tyres is an offence in Ireland, with a fixed charge of €80 and 2 penalty points if you pay it. If it goes to court and you're convicted, you can face up to 4 penalty points.
This is the big one. Your brakes slow the wheels down, but it's your tyres that slow the car down. The best brakes in the world can't make up for tyres that can't grip, and the less tread you have, the less water they can clear and the longer it takes to stop.
Tyre industry testing on wet roads, from around 50mph (80km/h), gives a clear picture:
| Tread Depth | Approx. Wet Stopping Distance | What That Means |
|---|---|---|
| 8mm (brand new) | About 26m | Full grip, water clears easily |
| 3mm (our recommended change point) | About 32m | Still good, but already a car length or so longer |
| 1.6mm (legal limit) | About 38 to 40m | Roughly three car lengths longer than a new tyre |
Exact figures vary with the tyre, the car and the road surface, but the pattern is always the same. The 8mm and 1.6mm figures come from Bridgestone's testing, and the 3mm and 1.6mm comparison from UK fire and rescue road safety guidance. Those extra few metres are often the difference between stopping in time and not. Worn tyres are also far more prone to aquaplaning, where the tyre skims on top of the water instead of gripping the road. In Ireland, we get plenty of opportunities to find that out the hard way.
Brakes and tyres are a team, so if your car pulls to one side when braking, or the steering wheel shakes, have both checked together.
You don't need to be a mechanic. The RSA sets the legal minimum at 1.6mm and recommends at least 3mm, and any of these takes a minute:
The RSA suggests running a €1 coin along the main grooves. If the gold part isn't visible, your tread is okay. If you can see it, your tyres could be approaching the limit and need a proper check.
Cheap, available in any motor factor, and gives you an exact reading in seconds.
Look for the small raised bars in the bottom of the main grooves. They sit at 1.6mm, so if your tread is level with them, you're at the legal limit.
Check in a few spots across and around each tyre, as wear isn't always even. While you're down there, look for cuts, cracks and bulges on the sidewalls, which are a red flag whatever the tread says. Legally, the 1.6mm applies across the central three-quarters of the tread, around the whole tyre.
Pop into us on the Cork Road in Waterford. Our aftersales team will check your tyre pressures and tread depth for free. It's quick, friendly and there's no pressure to buy anything. Or give us a call on 051-857717.
Once a month, and before any long trip, when the tyres are cold. Your correct pressures are in your car handbook and usually on a sticker inside the driver's door. Get it right and, as the Irish Tyre Industry Association explains, you'll get even wear, better grip and lower fuel costs (or more range if you drive electric).
| Pressure | What Happens | Where the Tyre Wears |
|---|---|---|
| Too low | Sluggish handling, higher fuel use, higher blowout risk | Outer edges |
| Too high | Bumpy ride, less grip on the road | Centre of the tread |
| Just right | Best braking, smooth ride, best economy | Evenly across the tread |
Give them an extra check when the temperature drops (cold air lowers your pressure), after a run of bad roads or a pothole you felt in your teeth, and when you're carrying a heavy load. Your handbook will tell you if it calls for a slight bump in pressure.
Four seasons in one day does keep your tyres on their toes. Cold snaps lower pressure and grip, warm spells can push pressure up, and wet roads put your tread to work clearing water. Winter tyres aren't mandatory in Ireland, but if you fit them, always replace all four as a set and switch back when the weather warms up.
If you drive a ŠKODA Enyaq or Elroq, a CUPRA Born or another EV or hybrid, your tyres have more to deal with. Battery weight and instant torque can wear rubber faster, so regular pressure and alignment checks really pay off. When it's time to replace them, make sure the new set has the correct load rating, and an EV-specific rating if your car calls for it.
Aim for around 3mm, not 1.6mm. Age matters too. Tyres deteriorate even if the tread looks fine, and the NCT will give a pass advisory on tyres more than six years old. We'd steer you away from part-worn tyres, as you can't see what's been going on inside them.
When you replace your tyres with us in Waterford:
Included free of charge with every new ŠKODA, CUPRA and SEAT we sell. It covers replacement tyres bought and fitted by our aftersales team:
The warranty is for new cars only, but used ŠKODA, CUPRA and SEAT owners aren't left out. Tyre insurance is priced by tyre size, so it varies from car to car. Add it when you buy and fit new tyres with us:
Tyre warranty and tyre insurance are available on ŠKODA, CUPRA and SEAT only. Tyre tread depth must be 3mm minimum to avail of this. Other terms and conditions apply. Ask our aftersales team for the full details and a price for your tyre size.
The legal minimum is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, around its whole circumference. The RSA recommends at least 3mm, and so do we. Below that, stopping distances on wet roads get noticeably longer.
The less tread you have, the longer it takes to stop, especially in the wet. In tyre industry testing from around 50mph, a new 8mm tyre stopped in about 26m, a 3mm tyre in about 32m, and a tyre at the 1.6mm legal limit in about 38 to 40m.
Driving on defective or worn tyres carries a fixed charge of €80 and 2 penalty points. If you're convicted in court, you can face up to 4 penalty points.
Use a tread depth gauge, run a €1 coin along the main grooves (if you can see the gold part, get your tyres checked), or look at the wear indicators in the grooves. Check a few spots on each tyre.
Yes. Pop into George Corbett Motors on the Cork Road and our team will happily check your tyre pressures and tread depth, free of charge. No appointment drama, and no pressure to buy anything.
Yes. Every new ŠKODA, CUPRA and SEAT from George Corbett Motors includes a tyre warranty at no extra cost. For used ŠKODA, CUPRA and SEAT cars, we offer tyre insurance instead, with the price depending on your tyre size.
Tyres are just one part of keeping you safe on the road. A service is the best way to have your whole car looked after by our Waterford aftersales team. Our technicians check the tread depth on all four tyres as part of it, and tell you straight what's fine and what needs attention.
If you're due a service, you can book it online in a couple of minutes. Need a new set of tyres for your ŠKODA, CUPRA or SEAT fitted at the same time, or have a question about tyre warranty or tyre insurance? Give us a call on 051-857717 and we'll sort it out.
Braking figures are approximate and vary by tyre, vehicle and road conditions.
