Brits with a keen eye for detail have sparked a debate on public transport peculiarities after one individual took to Reddit seeking insights into an unusual feature they noticed on bus tyres.
The inquisitive user posted their query on the bus subreddit, asking: “What is the reason for the small dents on the side of Arriva bus tires?” This led to a flurry of responses, with many pointing out that these dents are actually a critical safety feature.
One respondent clarified, stating: “Wear indicator,” and noted that this isn’t something unique to Arriva buses. “A lot of stops touches the curb and causes wear on the side of the tires. The sides of bus tyres are extra thick for this reason.”
Another agreed, adding: “This is to check the lateral tyre wear. If the dents are not any more visible, the tyre is worn out and needs to be replaced.” Whilst a third person elaborated: “Buses are heavy, there’s a lot of energy even at very slow speeds.
“The issue is most often that the road surfaces at the stops are worn, uneven and sometimes has deep enough wheel grooves that more or less steers the bus as if it’s on rails (maintanance issue). Also snow/ice is always a challenge during winters, often a bus will slip/skid a bit regardless of how careful one is.”
And a fourth Reddit user shared a tip, penning: “During maintenance the wheel is rotated and the dimples are observed from a fixed point. If three are counted whilst the wheel is in motion and then a further three are counted it can be confirmed that the wheels on the bus go round and round which is regarded as a minimum core function by the tester.”
Curiosity also arose regarding the green plastic often surrounding the wheel nuts, prompting one individual to also enquire: “I want to know the purpose of those luminous green things on the wheel nuts.”
An informative explanation provided by one Reddit user read: “As long as the points are facing each other the driver/mechanic can be satisfied that the wheel nuts haven’t loosened. They’re called wheel nut indicators.”
And another motorist pointed out: “It’s a visual indicator to show if any of the wheel nuts are starting to come loose. If wheel nuts are over tightened they can get hot expand and snap off. Imagine being on a bus that looses a wheel at 50mph.”
