Is it a myth that…

…tyres with more tread depth should be fitted to the front wheels of a car?

I recently acted for a client who lost control of her vehicle which aquaplaned as a result of excessive water on the road.  At the Inquest into the deaths of the passengers in the vehicle the Coroner concluded that the driver lost control as a result of aquaplaning brought on by excessive surface water which was compounded by the rear tyres that had considerably reduced wet weather performance.  The tread depth of the rear tyres, which were within the legal limits were considerably less than that on the front tyres.

The Coroner has written to the Secretary of State for Transport to address the issue as to whether it should be made a legal requirement for all tyre fitting establishments to endorse that the better tyres are fitted to the rear wheels.

We endorsed that legal changes should be made to raise awareness and reduce the risk of there being further tragic accidents which change people’s lives for ever.