If you're new to driving, three simple tyre skills will keep you safe and legal: checking the tread, setting the pressure, and knowing what makes a tyre illegal. Tyres are the only part of the car touching the road, so a few minutes of know-how matters more than almost anything else you can learn about car maintenance. None of it is complicated.
The three checks every new driver needs
- Tread: use the 20p test. Pop a 20p coin into the tread grooves; if the coin's outer band shows, get the tyre checked.
- Pressure: find the right figure on the driver's door sill or handbook and set it cold, see setting tyre pressure. Check monthly.
- Condition: look for cracks, bulges and nails, and learn the TPMS warning light.
What makes a tyre illegal
A tyre is illegal below 1.6mm of tread across the central three-quarters, or with cuts, lumps or bulges, and the penalty is up to £2,500 and 3 points per tyre under the tyre safety law (GOV.UK). For a new driver on a low points threshold, that's especially serious, so it's worth checking your tyres regularly and replacing anything marginal.
Choosing tyres on a budget
First cars are often cheap, but the tyres still matter. You don't need premium tyres, but you do need safe ones. A reputable mid-range or well-reviewed budget tyre with good wet-grip label grades is the sensible choice, see budget vs premium and reading the tyre label. Prioritise the wet-grip grade, because new drivers benefit most from the shortest possible stopping distance in the rain.
Avoid part-worn tyres
Part-worns look like a bargain for a first car, but they're usually a false economy with an unknown history, and many sold in the UK don't meet the legal standard, see part-worn risks. A new budget tyre gives you full tread and a known history for not much more, which is the safer place to spend limited money.
We can help
We'll happily talk a new driver through what their car needs and fit safe, sensible tyres at home or work across the UK, with no upselling. Book a fit or send your registration for advice.
