Vehicle safety
HGV tyre defects: a practical inspection guide
DVSA guidance shows how common tyre wear and damage are assessed at roadside inspections and annual tests.
Tyre condition is more than a tread-depth check. Cuts, exposed cords, tread separation, sidewall bulges, irregular wear and tyre age can each change whether a vehicle is safe to continue.
Look beyond the tread depth
Check across the full width and circumference of every tyre, including the inner sidewall where access allows. Irregular wear can point to alignment, suspension or inflation problems even when the remaining tread appears legal.
Visible cords, partial tread separation and a soft or spongy sidewall bulge are serious defects. DVSA guidance explains how these conditions are treated at roadside checks and annual tests.
Make inspection conditions work
A meaningful inspection needs enough light, safe access and suitable equipment. Clean away material that prevents a proper view, use a calibrated tread-depth gauge and record damage clearly enough for maintenance staff to make a decision.
Turn observations into action
Drivers should report changes as well as obvious failures. A small cut, recurring pressure loss or unusual wear pattern may need planned attention before it becomes a roadside prohibition.
Good records make those changes visible across successive checks. When the same axle, tyre position or wear pattern appears repeatedly, maintenance teams have better evidence for investigating the cause instead of replacing a tyre and losing the wider picture.
- Inspect tyres and wheel fixings during every walkaround check
- Record the location and nature of each defect precisely
- Remove the vehicle from service when a dangerous defect is suspected
