Tire Tread And Stopping Distance.

When tires are new they often have 8 to 10 mm of tread but miles, driving habits, pavement conditions, driving conditions, temperatures will cause tread depth to wear down 3 to 4mm of tread depth remaining. Optimal tire tread depth is important for safety, vehicle handling and performance. Tires with less than 4mm of tread may require 10 extra car lengths to stop at wet conditions at 60mph or 96kmh. Another key benefit of tread depth is reducing a car from hydroplanting on wet roads. Treads channel or push water between the tire and the road to the outside of the tire to help the tire maintain contact with the road while driving. A car has four small areas when tires meet the road at any given time so it is important for safety and performace that while driving at higher speeds and in wet or freezing conditions that these four tire contact points are with tires that have proper tread depth.