Last updated 13:45, Monday, 25 August 2008

SIXTY per cent of women drivers do not know the minimum legal tread depth of car tyres.

And almost half of men – 45 per cent – are also unaware it is 1.6mm, the RAC Foundation study revealed.

Seventy per cent of motorists said they would like to see the current age coding system – information contained on the sidewall of the tyre – replaced by an easy-to-read year of manufacture date on the tyre.

Owners of low-mileage cars, vintage and classic models, caravans, motor homes and trailers needed should be aware of the risk of tyre fatigue. The spare tyre is also at risk of deteriorating as it is often left unused for years while other tyres are replaced.

RAC Foundation deputy director Sheila Rainger said:“Modern tyres are very robust and failure-resistant, but older tyres that have been stored incorrectly or simply not used for many years can become unfit for purpose through the passage of time alone.”