To help identify the age of your tyres, each one is imprinted with a coded date which tells you when that tyre was manufactured. The four-digit tyre age code is usually located in a window on the tyre sidewall.

Do tyres have a date stamp?

Since the 1980s, tyres have had a date stamp added to the sidewalls so that you can see how old they are. The service life of a tyre is usually measured by the amount of tread remaining; in the UK the legal limit is 1.6mm over ¾ of the tread all around the circumference.

How do you tell how old a tyre is?

The chronological age of any tire can be found on the tire sidewall by examining the characters following the symbol DOT. The last four numbers identify the date of manufacture of the tire to the nearest week. The first two of these four numbers identify the week of manufacture (which range from 01 to 53).

What is the law on tyre age?

There is no legal limit to the age of tyres that can be used on cars, but new legislation will mean tyres over 10 years old will be banned from the being fitted to the front steering axles of goods vehicles more than 3.5 tonnes, buses and coaches and minibuses unless the axle had twin tyres.

Are 4 year old tyres safe?

There is no definitive tyre age limit as to when you should replace your tyres but once your tyres reach 7-10 years old, you should keep a close eye on their condition and consider replacing them. Premature tyre ageing can affect safety and increase the risk of tyre failure.