The difference of 3mm and 1.6 mm tire thread depth on wet roads.
 

UK's Autoexpress and Continental Tires have made this video to show the difference of legal 1.6 mm tires and less worn tires with 3 mm thread depth. The difference is shocking, to say the least!

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/autoex...fety_shock.html

The tire in the test is the Continental SportContact2

hmmm... i think i've seen enough, no more tires for me under some 2.0 - 2.2 mm's

Wow, quite a shocking result, never would've thought it made THAT much difference. Time to review the minimum tread depth and adjust it to modern automotive products?

Oeps :eek:

I think you're right, i think it should be some 2.5 or maybe they must make some better tyres :D

I agree that the minimum should be 3 mm just like for winter tires, but then again, the tire in the test isnt the very best in the rain either, as the SportContact2 has no sipes to push the water out to the sides. And when worn to 1.6 mm it's very close to a street-legal racing slick tire. So, it's really the most extreme case were seeing in this video.