When paying for new tyres, a second hand part-worn tyre is obviously the cheaper choice to a brand-new tyre, but did you know that you can put your car at risk by buying them without checking?

However, some people argue that buying a second-hand tyre is better value for money when in the long term the opposite could be true. A second-hand tyre already has significant tread loss and the walls are already partly worn down, meaning they will have to be replaced even more often and sooner than if the driver just bought the tyre new.

Many people think of part-worn tyres as “just as safe” as new tyres, but the key to knowing is to check them properly before making the purchase, ask to check the tyres beforehand. One such thing to check first is the tyre tread depth. The minimum tyre tread depth acceptable in this country is 1.6mm, so make sure to check this beforehand, maybe by using a 20p piece similar to our previous article Find Out The Condition Of Your Tyres With This Hack. If the tyre tread surpasses the band of the 20p piece, your tyres are fine. You will also need to check for bumps or similar in the wall of the tyre, since tyre deformities can be extremely dangerous if left unchecked.

Make sure to check the dot code on the sidewall of the tyre to check when they were truly made, as sometimes newer cars may be fitted with older tyres. To avoid being tricked in this regard the code on the sidewall, especially the last 4 numbers which will tell you the week and year of a tyre’s manufacture.

So next time you see a part-worn tyre for sale for a cheaper price, make sure to check it properly before buying.