BERLIN: To determine whether your car needs new tyres, you need to do more than just check out the tyre tread. That’s because the age of the tyre is decisive as well as the condition they are in.
After six years, tyre rubber begins to harden, and it also becomes brittle and cracked, explains the Berlin-based vehicle inspection company Dekra.
Their studies have shown that the risk of an accident increases markedly after tyres reach this age and that, at worst, major accidents could result. That's why older tyres should absolutely be inspected by a specialist before further use, even if they do not show any signs of visible damage.
The age of a tyre is displayed on the end of the DOT number on the tyre sidewall, where a four-digit sequence of numbers contains information on the date of manufacture. 2510, for example, stands for the 25th week of the year 2010.
Still, sometimes this production code is only mounted on one side of the tyre. For tyres with a recommended rotation direction, this is normally the right side. If one side of the tyre is defined as the exterior, the number can usually be found there, according to Dekra.
Above all drivers with a low annual mileage and owners of vehicles that are rarely moved like convertibles, trailers or caravans should take a close look at their vehicle’s tyres. That’s because there is often significantly more tread there after a long time than the minimum 1.6 millimeters usually required by lawmakers, said Dekra.
