Winter driving in extreme conditions is always a bitter experience for motorists and requires them to be more cautious and while driving in the snow, wet and ice. During the winter season especially early morning and late evenings the roads become treacherous making it critical for drivers to drive safely.
The choice of tyres during the different seasons is vitally important to keeping you safe on the roads. Many of the leading tyre manufacturers offer specialist seasonal tyres or all season tyres
The Benefits of All Season Tyres:
All season tyres are useful if you drive in a range of conditions. Summer tyres are designed for use for temperatures 7 degrees and above. An all season tyre is designed to work well in warmer temperatures, but also in colder temperatures too.
The Disadvantages of All Season Tyres:
Being a jack of all trades means an all season tyre is a compromise. So although you enjoy it’s range of benefits, it’s neither a high performance summer tyre or a strong winter tyre. Depending on your climate you may find an all season tyre is too hard for real winter driving, or too soft for summer driving. An all season tyre would be best suited to a climate where there is no extremes in temperatures, such as in the UK. Having said that the UK can have very cold winters, and also very warm summer days – so again it is a compromise on what you want.
The Benefits of Winter Tyres:
A winter tyres is a master of one thing – driving in the snow and in wintery conditions. Should you demand the very highest level of safety and are driving in very cold conditions a winter tyre is ideal. It has the ability to flush out snow from it’s treads and remains soft in cold temperatures, where non-winter tyres would become hard and offer less grip. Winter tyres provide more grip and shorter braking distances in snow and cold temperatures.
The Disadvantages of Winter Tyres:
Winter tyres are not suitable for summer driving. The softer tyre compound makes them wear much quicker than summer or all weather tyres.
Enjoying the best of both worlds…
Many people use winter tyres in the winter, and swap to summer or all season tyres in the summer. Although this may sound expensive, the only real additional cost is paying a garage to swap your tyres over, and of course having to store them. A garage will usually charge around £30-£60 to swap the tyres over, and if you have space in your garage storage is free. You will be benefiting from safer motoring and your summer tyres will not be worn either.