Taxi driver stopped by police for having illegal and dangerous tyres

A taxi driver was caught driving with bald tyres after police officers pulled him over in Greater Manchester.

Officers out on patrol around the city-region as part of an operation with Wolverhampton Council’s Compliance Officers on Saturday night, February 24th, stopped the driver of the black Ford before checking the tyres.

As police made the discovery, in defence the driver claimed he had checked his tyres ‘just last month’.

Images on social media show an officer checking the vehicle along with an image of a tyre with completely worn tread depth – which is illegal and unsafe to drive with.

A spokesperson for City of Wolverhampton Council said: “Compliance Officers patrolled around Greater Manchester last night with Greater Manchester Police. One vehicle suspended for an illegal tyre, also vehicle prohibited by Police. 

“Driver – ‘I checked tyre last month’ … Really!? Check your vehicle before every shift!”

According to car experts at Kwik Fit, the legal limit for the minimum depth of the tread on your tyres is ‘1.6 millimetres, across the central ¾ of the tread around the complete circumference of the tyre’. 

For safety reasons, it is recommended that you replace your car tyres before the legal limit is reached.

Motorists caught driving with tyres below the legal minimum tread depth could face penalty points being added to their licence and a hefty fine of up to £2,500 per tyre.