What Is a Bald Tyre and How Do I Spot One?

A bald tyre has worn until little or no tread remains in the contact patch. It loses grip in the wet, aquaplanes easily, and may be illegal on Australian roads.

How to spot one

Wear bars flush with the tread surface, a depth gauge reading under 1.5 mm in the central band, or a smooth, polished appearance across the pattern all indicate a bald or borderline tyre.

Why it is dangerous

Water cannot be evacuated fast enough; braking distance soars and cornering grip collapses. In the dry, thin tread also punctures more easily.

Uneven bald spots

If only one shoulder or one tyre is bald, fix alignment, inflation, or suspension issues before fitting new rubber or the pattern will repeat.