When it comes to driving a truck on Australian roads, prioritizing safety is of utmost importance, and this includes carefully addressing the specific requirements pertaining to your truck's tyres. If your truck does not have the appropriate tread depth, you may not be able to control the vehicle, particularly on slippery road surfaces or in wet weather conditions. In this blog, we'll be taking a look at the legal requirements for truck tyres in Australia and how you can measure the tread depth of your truck's tyres. Australian Design Rules (ADR) safety standards To ensure legal compliance while operating a truck on Australian roads, it is crucial to adhere to the prescribed safety standards. These standards encompass various aspects that must be diligently followed to maintain roadworthiness and ensure a secure driving experience. ADR 42 This standard states that the tyres and wheels of your truck must be effectively covered by mudguards as close to the wheel as possible. The lower edge of the mudguards must not be further from the tyre than twice the radius of the tyre. These guards are not only designed to protect your vehicle from mud and other debris, but they also protect smaller vehicles around you from damage caused by flying rocks and other small objects that could be kicked up from your truck's wheels. Guards can also prevent any damage from occurring to the rig's undercarriage due to exposure to ice melting chemicals such as salt and other corrosive substances that could compromise the safety of the wheels. ADR 23 ADR 23 specifies that truck tyres must meet several test standards, such as high-speed performance, tyre endurance, strength and bead unseating. This includes showing no signs of separating from the tyre carcass or chunking (in which pieces of tread break off). Tread depth Australian Law states that truck tyres must have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm, otherwise the vehicle will be unroadworthy. However, it's recommended for truck drivers to change their truck's tyres at approximately 3mm of tread rather than waiting for it to wear down to the minimum, as this can improve the safety of the vehicle. Truck tyres with deeper tread can find it easier to quickly accelerate out of a dangerous situation and brake in case of an emergency. If your truck's tyres are showing signs of wear on one side or have feathered edges to the tread pattern, this could indicate that the wheels are maladjusted. It's a good idea to have the truck's suspension geometry or steering checked via a wheel alignment service. Contact our team If you're looking to buy high-quality tyres in Melbourne for your truck, our team at Double-D can help. We have a full range of tyres for fleet management vehicles, vans, heavy goods vehicles, light trucks and commercial trucks, so what are you waiting for? Shop our range today or get in touch with our team by calling or emailing us with any questions about our services.
