What Is A Tyre Speed Rating & Which One Do I Need?

What Is A Tyre Speed Rating?

The speed rating on a tyre tells you the maximum speed that the tyre can safely maintain over time under its recommended load. It’s not just about how fast the tyre can go in a straight line either. The speed rating reflects how well the tyre handles heat, pressure, and stress at high speeds. 

For traders, fitting tyres with the correct speed rating means aligning with the manufacturer’s design and giving your customers a car that drives and performs as intended.

How Do Tyre Speed Ratings Work?

Tyres generate a lot of heat when driven at high speeds, especially on motorways or in high-performance vehicles. So, the speed rating ensures the tyre can cope with that heat without losing grip, deforming, or failing. 

Each letter corresponds to a specific speed. For example, H is up to 130 mph, V is up to 149 mph, W goes to 168 mph, and so on.

However, it’s not a recommendation to drive at those speeds. It’s a performance limit, designed to ensure safety and stability under specific conditions. 

Take the rating 205/55 R16 91V as an example. That V is the speed rating and means the tyre is safe up to 149 mph under load. It’s a simple letter, but it carries serious weight. As a trader, knowing what it means helps you fit the right tyres and maintain customer trust.

How Do I Find My Tyre’s Speed Rating?

Examine a vehicle tyre and you will see a series of letters and numbers moulded into the rubber of the sidewall. These details provide information about the size and diameter of the tyre, the maximum load it can carry, and the speed rating. 

Testing tyres and giving them an appropriate speed rating ensures that the tyre will not fail under the heat and wear generated by high-speed driving, up to the maximum speed allowed by the rating category. The speed rating is indicated by a letter, either on its own or following a number that shows the load rating.

Should Tyres Be Fitted In Pairs With The Same Speed Rating?

Ideally, you should have car tyres fitted in pairs with the same speed rating.

Mixing speed ratings across all four tyres isn’t recommended as it can lead to uneven performance, unpredictable handling, or braking issues. 

The same goes if you have tyres with different grip levels on either side of a vehicle. 

For example, if you put a tyre with excellent wet grip on the front driver’s side and keep the old one with much poorer grip on the passenger side, the results could be disastrous. At 30 mph in dry conditions, you might not notice any difference. But hit some standing water at 60 mph and the car will respond unpredictably, so if you’re replacing one front or rear tyre, you’ll need to replace the other at the same time.

Never go below the vehicle’s original design specifications. It’s too much of a risk that can land you, your customer and another driver in an accident – which might saddle you with a liability claim on your motor mechanic insurance. Plus, it can also lead the vehicle to fail an MOT.

What Is The Standard Speed Rating For A Vehicle?

For normal road use, most family cars are fitted with an H rating, suitable for speeds of up to 130 mph, or a V rating, suitable for speeds of up to 149 mph. 

It is rare to see a tyre rated for speeds of less than 100mph, for instance, N, P, or Q, except on classic vehicles.  

Smaller models, designed for city driving, may have T-rated tyres, which are suitable for speeds up to 118 mph. High-end sports cars usually need W or Y-rated tyres to cope with their power. 

Which Is Better: The V Or H Speed Rating?

Tyre ratings are not about what is better, but what’s right for the car. Let’s look at the standard V and H-rated tyres as an example.

V tyres are built for speeds up to 149 mph (240 km/h). An H-rated tyre goes up to 130 mph (210 km/h). While V is technically higher, it doesn’t mean it’s the better choice in every case. 

For many vehicles, especially mid-range saloons or crossovers, H is perfectly fine to use. And if the car never sees high-speed driving, fitting a higher rating may just be an unnecessary expense. 

However, we always recommend erring on the side of caution and following the tyre rating recommended by the vehicle’s manufacturer. For motor traders fitting tyres, it’s worth getting your customer also to double check the terms of their car insurance in case a certain tyre rating may invalidate their coverage.

Can My Tyres Invalidate My Insurance If They Have The Wrong Speed Rating?

If you are involved in an accident and the speed rating of your tyres is lower than the one recommended by the vehicle’s manufacturer, your insurance policy could be invalidated. 

While using tyres with a higher speed rating is usually not a problem, it’s still best for drivers to keep an insurer informed of any deviations from the original specifications. 

Since the speed rating indicates the maximum speed a tyre can safely handle, insurers generally expect tyres to meet or exceed this specification. In the event of an accident, the insurer might argue that the incorrect tyres contributed to the incident and could refuse to pay out or reduce the claim. 

Our Tyre Speed Rating Chart