Maintenance & inspection
What is a tyre check?
A tyre check covers tread depth, pressure, condition and matching across an axle. Tyres are among the most common causes of roadside prohibitions and among the easiest defects to find.
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<figure>
<img src="https://fleetoptix.co.uk/glossary/tyres/diagram.svg" alt="tyre check — diagram from FleetOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>
<a href="https://fleetoptix.co.uk/glossary/tyres">What is a tyre check?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://fleetoptix.co.uk">FleetOptix</a>
</figcaption>
</figure>Tread depth is the measurable part, but condition is where the risk usually is — cuts, bulges, exposed cords and damage to sidewalls all fail a vehicle regardless of tread.
Inner tyres on twin wheels are the ones that get missed, because checking them means looking rather than glancing, and they are the ones that fail unnoticed.
Age matters independently of wear for some applications, because rubber degrades whether or not the vehicle is used.
What goes wrong in practice
- Inner tyres on twin wheels not actually inspected.
- Pressure assumed from appearance rather than measured.
- Damage noted as cosmetic when it exposes structure.