Are your tires safe? The new app uses AI to check tread depth, age and more

A new mobile phone app can use artificial intelligence to scan your car’s tires and tell you whether or not it’s safe to drive.

The AA’s new Vixa app will give you a virtual health check of your car, with a specialist tire check tool that can use AI technology to analyze the photos you upload and provide a tire health report.

This will assess the tire’s tread depth, age and any signs of wear. If it is deemed unsafe for the road, Vixa will inform you of recommended garages nearby, as well as approximate replacement prices.

The app can also work in conjunction with an on-board diagnostic unit (OBD), basically a connected device that can read and alter data from the car’s onboard computer, to remotely monitor the health of the vehicle’s engine and battery .

The AA says the Vixa app is compatible with most petrol vehicles made since 2001 and most diesel cars made after 2006. All features, bar battery alerts, are available on hybrid cars , while the AA tells us that it is “working on a solution for EVs”.

When asked what information would be most useful to access remotely, around half of the 11,000 people polled by the AA said their top priority was to be notified in advance of impending failures and warning lights warning, something Vixa can help with thanks to the OBD’s ability to read the car. data

With this in mind, the AA plans to charge a subscription of £3.99 per month for the Vixa app for AA members. Non-AA members can sign up for £5.99 per month.

Chief executive of the AA’s innovation arm, X, Tom Fawcett, described Vixa as “a new era of car care that uses information from connected cars while putting drivers in control”.

The Vixa app is now available for download on iOS and Android devices. You can find out if your car is compatible via the official vixa.co.uk website.

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