Tyres are one of the most important components of a car when it comes to safety and taxi drivers can be hit hard for neglecting them.
Not only do they face a £2,500 fine and three penalty points per defective tyre, they could also see their vehicle taken off the road which would stop them being able to earn. Drivers who have four tyres worn below the legal limit could be summoned to court, lose their driving licence and face a £10,000 fine.
Tread carefully
In order for tyres to be legal, the tread depth must be a minimum 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre and across its complete circumference.
And while the 1.6mm is the legal minimum, most experts recommend replacing tyres at 3mm for better safety.
The RAC notes that tests carried out by UK technical organisation MIRA found that once tyres are below 3mm, stopping distances increase dramatically and the difference in wet braking distance between a tyre worn to 3mm and one worn to 1.6mm can be as much as 44%.
Because tyres play a vital part in the safety of a vehicle, licensing authorities take breaches seriously and can immediately take taxis and PHVs off the road.
This is exactly the situation a Ribble Valley taxi driver recently found themselves in following a routine inspection.
Inspection
Taxi Point reports that the taxi was immediately taken off the road after a recent check found it had a tyre with tread depth below the legal limit, as well as a faulty indicator.
Ribble Valley Borough Council and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency inspected eight taxis and private-hire vehicles, with all but one found to be up to the required standard.
Taxi Point reports that the vehicle with the defective tyre was allowed back into service a few days later after the repairs were completed and a follow-up inspection was passed.
Cllr Ian Brown, chairman of the council’s licensing committee, said: “The council and DVLA carry out regular inspections to help ensure standards are kept high and passengers and drivers are kept safe.
“These inspections will continue and those small number of vehicles that aren’t up to scratch will be taken off the road until the necessary work on them is carried out.”
Under pressure
It isn’t just taxi drivers who are pushing tyres to the limit. The Business Motoring website reports that 2.15 million vehicles failed MOT tests due to tyre defects in 2024.
It found that DVSA figures analysed by garage management system provider TechMan reveal 36% of those vehicles received tyre-related advisories on previous MOT tests.
Techman explained that drivers and fleets may be keeping worn tyres on the road due to the rising cost of tyres, or a lack of risk awareness.
Kimberley Dorr, chief operating officer at TechMan, told Business Motoring: “Tyres are the only contact point between a vehicle and the road and their condition can be the difference between a safe journey and a serious accident.
“These figures show just how many drivers are putting themselves and others at risk by overlooking advisory warnings.
“As an industry we all need to do our part in helping educate the public about tyre safety. The more we raise awareness, the more lives we can help protect.”
With rising costs including licensing, taxi insurance, servicing and repairs, it is understandable that some drivers might try to get more out of their tyres than they should. But apart from facing huge fines, points on their driving licence and licensing sanctions, they are putting themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk of serious injury. It isn’t worth taking a chance.
