Is Having a Spare Tyre a Legal Requirement?

Keeping a spare tyre in your car is one of those things that, while you’ll hopefully never be in a situation where you need it, if you do, you’ll be incredibly grateful that you remembered to keep a spare to hand.

Let’s face it, accidents can happen. And the most annoying part? It’s often when you least expect it. This is why it’s always a good idea to be prepared for every eventuality, and keeping a spare tyre in your car is a perfect example of this.

While it is absolutely best practice, there isn’t actually any law in the UK that says you must carry a spare wheel in your car. It isn’t a legal requirement, and you won’t be expected to have your own spare available if you do break down. You don’t actually have to be carrying any means of independently fixing a puncture according to current UK law.

In fact, there’s only one country in the EU where you need to carry a spare tyre, and this is Spain - although most countries do issue guidance indicating that carrying a spare is good practice.

Will not carrying a spare tyre impact my MOT?

MOTs are designed to act as a full, thorough test of a car’s roadworthiness in order to deem them fit and safe to stay on the roads. While this involves looking at things like the tyres currently in use, spare tyres are not checked as part of an MOT.

The reason for this is because the spare is not currently in use, meaning that it is not currently impacting the safety or road worthiness of the vehicle in question. As a result, it doesn’t need to meet any legal requirements or standards - until such time as it was being used.

The only time where a spare tyre might cause you problems in an MOT setting is if, at the time of your test, you have a space-saving tyre fitted to your car. Space-saving tyres are designed only for temporary use, designed to get you to a repair centre or home in order for a proper, permanent replacement to be fitted. Because of this, if you bring your car in for an MOT and it is fitted with a space-saver spare wheel, it is likely that this will cause you to fail.

Don’t forget however, that regular tyres are assessed in five main areas during an MOT, and play a crucial role in determining whether or not a car is fit to pass. The test for the four working tyres will look at:

• Condition
• Security (how the wheels are attached to the car)
• Suitability (size and type)
• Tread Depth
• Any damaged areas such as scrapes, lumps, cuts, or even punctures

If your vehicle does not have four road-worthy, legal tyres, it will not pass its MOT.

Is carrying a spare tyre important?

As we mentioned at the beginning, while it isn’t a legal requirement to carry a spare tyre, it is still absolutely advisable to do so - as well as basic tyre changing tools and equipment, such as a jack or your locking wheel nut. While there was a time when many cars were sold with a spare included, this is becoming less and less commonplace - so make sure to familiarise yourself with whether or not your car has a spare (usually under the lining of your boot), and consider purchasing one if not.

These few simple items could help you avoid plenty of hassle on the roads, and help make sure you can continue on your way safely, even if it’s just to the nearest garage.

Need a new spare tyre?

Need a new spare tyre, or need a replacement tyre for your car? Check out our tyre search tool to find the perfect fit for your exact model, or pop into one of our centres to chat to our experts about your tyre needs - or any questions you may have.