A common tyre mistake could see drivers fined up to £10,000 - but it’s easy to avoid.
Car tyres must have a minimum tread of 1.6mm in order to be deemed safe for the roads.
This is so they have adequate grip when you're driving - particularly in bad weather conditions, so you’re not at risk of sliding.
Having good tyres also means your vehicle can stop quicker, compared to a car with bad wheels.
As well as being unsafe, driving with dangerous or defective tyres also puts drivers at risk of a fine of up to £2,500 and three points on their license.
The fine is per tyre, so four illegal tyres could mean a maximum fine of £10,000.
Even though the minimum tread depth for cars, light vans and light trailers is 1.6mm, some experts recommend a minimum of 3mm for safety reasons.
Tests by UK technical organisation MIRA found that once tyres are below 3mm, stopping distances increase dramatically.
The difference in wet braking distance between a tyre worn to 3mm and one worn to 1.6mm can be as much as 44%.
Motorcycles, large vehicles and passenger-carrying vehicles must have a tyre read depth of at least 1mm, while mopeds only need to have a visible tread.
Tyres also need to be free of cuts and defects.
What are the biggest difficulties facing drivers? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
How to check your tyre tread depth
Luckily, there is an easy way to check if your tyres are legally safe for the roads - and it involves using a 20p coin.
Take the coin and insert it into the tread grooves on the tyre.
If you can't see the outer band on the coin, your tyres are above the legal limit.
However, your tyres could be unsafe if you can see the band and that section of the coin is still visible.
If this is the case, then you should get your tyres checked by a qualified professional as soon as possible.
It is important to carry this test out on at least three locations around each tyre.
The RAC suggests drivers conduct the 20p test around every two weeks and before long journeys.
According to website Confused.com, 61% of motorists don’t know what the minimum legal tread depth is on their vehicle, and more than half don’t know how to check their tyres.
And research from Highways England estimates only one in six drivers in the UK check their tyres before setting off on a long journey.
Meanwhile, one in five breakdowns are said to be caused by worn or incorrectly inflated tyres.
