Re-treading your car tyres is a big NO-NO!
For those who are unaware, retreaded tyres are tyres where the tread of the original tyre has reached the end of its service life and has been replaced with a procured thread. The process involves scrubbing away any remaining tread and bonding a new tread area to the tyre. A similar process, called re-grooving, is used in tyres which have been designed with extra tread base into which new tread can be cut once the original has worn out.
The National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No.093 of 1996) states that “1) No person shall operate on a public road-(I) a motor vehicle which is equipped with a regrooved tyre having a bead diameter of 430 millimetres or less.”
Re-grooving and re-treading are typically used to increase the service life of tyres fitted to heavy vehicles. These tyres are not required to be able to withstand the high speeds and dynamic loads imposed on passenger car tyres.
To be safe, rather spend extra money on new tyres. Bridgestone says the most effective way to reduce tyre costs over the lifetime of a passenger car is to ensure that tyres are always correctly inflated to provide the most economical operation. Correct driving style also helps prolong tyre life, such as avoiding harsh braking, heavy cornering and sudden acceleration. If you take care of your tyres it can prolong the life up to 30%!