Tire change: more than half of the Italian car park does not do so

It is not new that the Italian car park is among the oldest in Europe: 55 million circulating vehicles, 41 million are more than 10 years old (59%), and of these 24% reaches 20 years. According to the director of Assogomma, association at the service of the rubber industries, Fabio Bertolotti, It is a matter of spending and not of choice: buying a new car today is a difficult goal. This is accompanied by a culture that is not very sensitive to the maintenance of a vehicle dated: according to investigations, the more the car and old, the less it is subjected to the necessary checks. One of the most neglected components is the pneumatic, and the motivations are varied: the reliability of a rubber is taken for granted even if worn, it is demanding to go to the tire dealer, it is expensive to pay for a new and demanding tire train to stay behind the regulations on the seasonal tire change. To understand in detail what is the national situation in terms of maintaining the tires, the association in collaboration with the traffic police has done 10,000 checks Between May and June 2025 in the regions of Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Piedmont, Puglia, Tuscany and Valle d’Aosta, covering about 35% of the national territory.

smooth tires and different tires on the same axis

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The results of the investigation leave room for a worrying picture: 17% of cars circulating over 10 years of age do not have the revisions in order, while almost 10% of cars circulate with smooth tires, That is, with the scrolls of the tread with a lower thickness compared to the regulations (1.6 mm), a figure remained constant in recent years for cars over 4 years of age and which in 2013 had reached 2.5%. Instead, the past years are increasing non -homogeneous equipmentthat is, those who put different tires on the rear axle than the front one or even two different tires on the same axis, for a total of the 6% on the sample studied. Of these, two thirds had summer tires mounted on one winter axis and tires on the other: an attempt to save excessive, if not dangerous. Finally, 54% of the sample studied had not yet changed the tires from winter to summer, but the figure is influenced by the spread of “4 seasons” tires throughout the territory.

penalties and advice

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In the case of smooth tires, i.e. with a tread lower than the legal limit, there is an administrative sanction that goes from 87 to 344 euros For each non -compliant tire, in addition to the reduction of 2 points from the license. If, on the other hand, the tires mounted on the same axis are not homogeneous by type, brand or measure in violation of the approved specifications, you can incur a fine from 430 to 1,731 euros and in the withdrawal of the registration booklet up to the regularization of the vehicle. To ensure road safety and avoid penalties, it is essential to regularly check the state of the tires and in the event of anomalies to go to the mechanic to prevent serious accidents. Some checks can be carried out independently, such as the tire pressure And the possible presence of cuts, swellings or irregular wear, which could indicate problems for the structure or suspension. In addition, it is always necessary to replace the summer tires with the winter ones (or vice versa) in the periods provided for by law, not only in order not to incur fines but also to preserve the quality of the tires and consequently the safety of the vehicle, unless you are in possession of “four seasons” tires.