Tyre Speed Rating

One way to keep on top of tyre safety is to make sure that the tyres on your car have the right tyre speed rating. We’ll explain what a tyre speed rating is, why it’s important and how to check it for your car.

In this article What’s a tyre speed rating? Why does it matter? Where can I find it? Tyre speed rating chart Tyre load index chart Lower speed ratings Higher speed ratings Can I mix speed ratings?

What’s a tyre speed rating?

The speed rating of a tyre shows you the top speed that the tyre can safely be driven at. It’s a legally approved limit and tyres are only rated after they’ve been tested in a lab. The safest top speed applies as long as the tyre isn’t being driven with too much weight loaded.

Often, the tyre speed rating will be a faster speed than your car's able to go. That’s mainly for safety reasons, to make sure that you tyre performance is never worse than the car’s performance.

Find out more about tyre law.

Does the tyre speed rating matter?

Choosing the right tyre speed rating for your car’s important for the safety of yourself and other road users. 

If the tyre speed rating’s too low for your car, it might not be able to cope with the heat of high speeds. That could cause the tyre to lose performance and the car to lose control. It could even lead to a tyre blow-out.

But it’s not just about speed. The rating also relates to:

• Ride comfort
• Tread wear
• Traction
• Cornering ability

It’s important to choose the right speed rating for your vehicle and the conditions. Tyres with higher speed ratings may give better grip and stopping distances, but they might not perform as well in the cold and could wear out faster.

Tyre speed rating and insurance

The tyre speed rating’s also important for legal reasons. If you have a lower tyre speed rating than you should, it might invalidate your car insurance.

Where can I find the tyre speed rating?

You can check the tyre speed rating on the sidewall of a car. There's a group of letters and numbers on the side. The final letter is the speed rating. 

The speed rating letter comes after the load rating. It’s important to look at both together because the speed rating depends on driving with the right load.

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Tyre speed rating chart

This chart shows you the maximum speed is for each tyre speed rating letter. The system is based on kilometres per hour (kmh), which is why the increments seem odd in miles per hour (mph).

Speed rating	mph	km/h	Speed rating	mph	km/h
A1	3	5	K	68	110
A2	6	10	L	75	120
A3	9	15	M	81	130
A4	12	20	N	87	140
A5	16	25	P	93	150
A6	19	30	Q	100	160
A7	22	35	R	106	170
A8	25	40	S	112	180
B	31	50	T	118	190
C	37	60	U	124	200
D	40	65	H	130	210
E	43	70	V	149	240
F	50	80	W	168	270
G	56	90	Y	186	300
J	62	100	(Y)	186+	300+

Tyre load index chart

The 2 numbers on a tyre sidewall that come before the tyre speed rating are the load index. This shows you the maximum weight of the vehicle (and any load it’s carrying) for that tyre.

It’s important not to go over the maximum load as it could be dangerous. The tyre speed rating won’t be accurate and it could affect the way the tyres perform and handle.

You’ll also need to make sure your tyre pressure is correct.

Load index	Load (kg)	Load index	Load (kg)	Load index	Load (kg)
62	265	84	500	106	950
63	272	85	515	107	975
64	280	86	530	108	1000
65	290	87	545	109	1030
66	300	88	560	110	1060
67	307	89	580	111	1090
68	315	90	600	112	1120
69	325	91	615	113	1150
70	335	92	630	114	1180
71	345	93	650	115	1215
72	355	94	670	116	1250
73	365	95	690	117	1285
74	375	96	710	118	1320
75	381	97	730	119	1360
76	400	98	750	120	1400
77	400	99	775	121	1450
78	400	100	800	122	1500
79	400	101	825	123	1550
80	400	102	850	124	1600
81	400	103	875	125	1650
82	400	104	900	126	1700
83	400	105	925

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Can I fit tyres with a higher speed rating than I need?

Yes, you can. It’s not against the law to choose tyres with a higher speed rating that your car needs as long as they’re right for your vehicle.

Find out more about the legal requirements for car tyres.

Can I fit tyres with a lower speed rating that I need?

No, you shouldn’t ever fit tyres with a speed rating that’s too low for your car. It could cause steering and control issues or you might even suffer tyre failure.

It’s not illegal to use a tyre speed rating that’s too low but it is dangerous and it could stop your car insurance from paying out.

Can I mix tyres with different speed ratings?

We’d never recommended mixing tyres with different speed ratings on your vehicle.

It’s safest to fit the same size and type of tyre, with the same speed rating, on all your wheels.

Find out more:

• How to change a flat tyre