Your tires might be worn out after vacationing by car, Norwegian expert warns

Did you drive your car a lot this summer? Then you should check your tires before the autumn weather arrives.

Many Norwegians have vacationed by car this summer, driving more kilometers than before.

That also means that their tires have been worn down more, and that can lead to problems when autumn comes along with rain, leaves, and slippery roads.

“The law states that the minimum permitted tread depth on summer tires is 1.6 millimeters, but we do not recommend driving with less than three millimeters of tread depth.

This is especially important this autumn with wet and slippery road conditions,” product manager at Continental Tires Norway, Knut Knudsen, warned.

A braking distance test

Earlier this year, German AutoBild tested braking distance on wet surfaces with different tread depths.

At 80 km/h, AutoBild achieved the shortest braking distance with new Continental tires, and the car stopped after 25.8 meters.

With tires where the tread depth was worn down to 3 millimeters, the braking distance was 31 meters, while the tires with a minimum permitted tread depth of 1.6 millimeters had a braking length of 36.2 meters, as much as 10.4 meters longer than new tires.

“Many don’t think about the fact that driving in the summer, often in hot weather and with a lot of heavy luggage in the car, can wear down the tread depth faster than usual.

A set of summer tires usually lasts for around 30,000 kilometers, but intensive driving with a heavy car can shorten that time window.

Therefore, we recommend everyone to check the tire tread depth this autumn,” Knudsen said.

Checking tire tread depth

Checking the tread depth is simple.

You can use a ruler or tire tread depth gauge that is available at most tire dealers.

“If the tread depth on the summer tires is less than three millimeters, it may be time to switch to winter tires already in September.

There has already been frost in several places in the country at night. At the same time, you can use the opportunity to buy new summer tires now, which are often cheaper in the autumn than in the spring,” Knudsen concluded.

Source: Continental / Norway Today