Safe Speed Forums

How do folks-looking for some advice if possible

I was stopped on the A74 for no reason other than a 'routine check' on my way back from london in jan. I was giving my manager and his girlfriend a lift back with me, so there were three of us.

One policeman looked round my car, while the other got me in the back of his jeep, and they didn't have their white hats on, they were in their car.(do they not have to have them on?)

The other policeman came back and said I had a baldy tyre, and took me out on the hard shoulder with a torch, with trucks hurtling past at serious speed. I was bricking it a bit cos it was wet, and when i looked at the tyre, i would definately say it was borderline, with only a tiny strip on the very inside slightly smooth, but with tread still visible. The outside and middle of the tyre had about 6mm of tread. Plus it was a rear tyre on a FWD car.
He also said that the tyre was dangerous enough to blow at speed! (which is rubbish)

They didn't photograph the tyre or anything, they just wrote down the make of the tyre on a piece of paper, gave me a ticket and told me to drive off up the motorway for about 8miles, pull over and change it for the spare. (if it was dangerous enough to blow, how come they told me to carry on at motorway speeds for 8miles - remiss in their duty?)

I ignored/forgot about the ticket, then received a 'Conditional Offer of fixed penalty' from proc fiscal. All details are correct, except it doesn't have the time of offence on the letter, and it doesn't have my vehicle reg, just 'a motor vehicle'
The real bugger is that it also says '..said vehicle had a portion of the ply or cord exposed'! Gits. plus there isn't a 'said' motor vehicle as no reg.no. on letter

The bottom line is, is there anything that could be a possible saviour or way out for me? I don't mind the £60 fine, but the 3pts on my clean licence really gets me. I feel violated!!
Stupidly, I subsequently replaced the tyres, and didn't keep the tyre in question-I didn't realise they would go to the length of lying?

and sorry bout the length!

I was always taught that a tyre had to have the legal depth of tread over 3/4 of its width to be legal. Doesnt matter if the outside edge is bald, or "feathered" as its known. If it had exposed cords then yes it was an illegal tyre, but if not Id hazard a guess theyre having you on. Have you still got the tyre? Will be difficult to proove its the same one as the one examined.

*edit* im sure it used to be the case that the police couldnt simply stop you for no other reason than a "routine check", they need a reason, i.e suspected of being drunk e.t.c. Not sure if this law is out of date though. No you didnt keep the tyre..