The hidden date on your tyres every Cornwall driver can check

There’s a date stamped on every tyre on your car. Plenty of drivers go years without ever looking at it.

And if the code on yours ends in 19 or earlier, it might be worth a closer look.

National Highways has shared a short video showing how to work out how old your tyres are, and when it recommends swapping them. It takes about a minute and you don’t need any tools.

Where to find the date on your tyre

Look on the sidewall of the tyre for the letters DOT, followed by a four-digit code.

Those four digits are the manufacturing date. The first two show the week the tyre was made, and the last two show the year.

How to read the four-digit code

National Highways gave three examples:

• 2524 means the tyre was made in the 25th week of 2024
• 1023 means it was made in the 10th week of 2023
• 4319 means it was made in the 43rd week of 2019

When to change your tyres

National Highways recommends getting your tyres changed if they were manufactured more than seven years ago.

As of September 2026, that means a code ending in 18 or earlier is already past the mark. One ending in 19 is right on the line, depending on the week. That 4319 example tyre would tip over seven years old in late October.

So it’s worth a look before your next long drive on Cornwall’s roads.

National Highways also reminds drivers to inspect their tyres regularly, whatever the date on the sidewall says.