The visible pattern on the surface of a tyre, consisting of moulded grooves. The tread is the area that makes contact with the road, whilst the grooves allow water to be expelled from beneath the tyre and help to grip the surface.
The minimum legal tread depth of tyres in the UK is 1.6 mm (i.e. the depth of the grooves). Any less than this, and the tyre would not be able to grip the road surface effectively, and may cause the vehicle to skid, especially in wet or slippery conditions.
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