I have a 2019 Renault Clio and the tires are pretty worn, but they still have a few millimeters left. I just passed the periodic inspection and everything was approved. The thing is: legally, can I keep driving with them like this or am I obligated to change them even though the inspection passed?
If it passed inspection, it's legal, so you can drive without any issues until the next check-up. Now, that doesn't mean it's safe - worn tires have worse grip in the rain and increase braking distance, but legally you're all good.
Legally it's fine, since they approved it in the inspection - the minimum requirement in Portugal is about 1.6mm of tread depth and the police won't fine you if you've passed. But there's a detail nobody's mentioning: if you get into an accident with worn tires, your insurance can use that to reduce the payout or even refuse coverage, claiming negligence. So technically you can drive, but it's pretty risky in terms of insurance.
The inspection only checks the legal minimum, which is 1.6mm, and you're within that - so yes, you can drive without any legal issues. Now, here's a practical detail worth knowing: tires start losing a lot of grip well before they hit the legal limit, especially if you drive a lot on the highway or in rainy conditions, and by that point fuel consumption already goes up quite a bit. This means if you replace them now instead of waiting for your next inspection in two years, you'll save money on fuel during that time - sometimes more than the cost of the new tires themselves. It's basically a matter of economics and personal safety, not legality.
Legally you're covered, yes - the minimum regulation in Portugal is 1.6mm and if you passed inspection it means you're above that. The police won't fine you for it, and you can drive without any issues until your next inspection. So from a legal and administrative standpoint, you're not obligated to change them.
Now, the practical side is a different story. Worn tires degrade much faster in rain and significantly increase braking distance, which can be critical if you hit an emergency situation. I myself had a scare a while back when I needed to brake suddenly on a wet road and the car "didn't respond" the way I expected - I realized afterwards that the tires were right at that limit point. Since then I pay more attention, because those last millimeters really do make a difference in safety.
In short: legally you can drive without worry, but if your tires are actually worn and there's a chance of rain in the coming months (which is pretty normal in fall/winter around here), it might be worth not waiting until your next inspection. It's more a question of your safety and that of anyone riding with you than legal compliance.
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