Here’s a topic that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. It’s a brand new Bugatt…
Just kidding. It’s road safety.
Try not to hurt yourself with how excited you are at the moment.
Whenever you think about road safety laws, usually things like speed limits, or the use of seat belts come to mind. Right?
However, what if you were told that there is a specific set of laws about car tires in the UAE?
Well, as strange as that may sound, these requirements play a huge role in keeping you safe as you tackle the Emirati dunes. Here are the UAE’s car tire laws for your reading pleasure.
So why is the UAE so concerned with car tire laws?
Usually, tires are built to sustain temperatures of 30°c, which is at the top end of a hot British summer’s day.
However Gulf summers go way beyond, with temperatures soaring well over 50°c.
This heatwave is crazy high and can fry you to a crisp. Personally I prefer myself at medium-rare served with a side of rocket.
Alrighty, time for a bit of physics. Pressure and temperature are proportional for a fixed mass of gas at constant volume.
In layman’s terms, the hotter it gets, the more the pressure grows, until…well you can imagine.
Estimates blame 5% of total accidental deaths in the UAE on low-quality tires and inferior car maintenance. No small number.
In other countries it may not be as big of an issue or they may not take it as seriously, but the UAE ain’t one of them.
The UAE’s car tire laws – let’s get to the legal-ese
The Emirates Standardisation and Metrology Authority (ESMA), issues legal guidelines on car tires in the UAE.
Some of these are your responsibility, while some are the manufacturers, but make no mistake, it’s still up to you to make sure what you’re getting is up to snuff.
1. Manufacturing
- There is an absolute ban on the import of retreaded tires.
- While producing tires, manufacturers are required to custom-build, so that they can withstand up to 50°C.
- When it comes to the legal tire tread depth, the ESMA guidelines are:
- 0.8 mm for motorbikes
- 1.6 mm for light vehicles
- 2.4 mm for medium sized vehicles
- 3.2 mm for buses and trucks
Not sure what your tire’s tread depth is? Check out this article.
2. Storage
- Always store car tires in a cool, dry place. Temperatures mustn’t exceed 25°C.
- While in storage, tires mustn’t be piled one on top of the other. Think of it as social distancing for our fine rubber friends.
3. Usage
The use of old tires is entirely banned except for buses and trucks.
Even so, you should still get one of 25 pre-approved manufacturers to retread them. It’s just good sense and follows best practice.
And that’s it. Hopefully this piece didn’t tire you out (see what I did there).
Trust me when you’re blazing down those stretches in your sweet ride, you don’t want to be interrupted because you fell afoul of the law, or burst a tire thanks to negligence.
We hope you’ll keep the UAE’s car tire laws in mind the next time you head out to get your ride serviced.
Check out our tire category and get talking to our listed tire shops to change out those old shoes.
