Winter tyres in summer

Winter Tyres UK: Should I Buy Snow Tyres ? Which is better winter or summer tyres? What is winter tire? Are winter tyres snow tyres?

Using winter tyres in summer extends stopping distances, so even the most careful drivers can be caught out. During summer, for instance, winter tyre stopping distances can increase by as much as metres.

Therefore, at the point a car on summer tyres stops, a car on with winter tyres would still advance at potentially fatal speeds. Thus, at the point where a vehicle with summer tyres would stop, the speed on "winter" tyres is still sufficient to kill a pedestrian or to damage the car up ahead. So, using winter tyres in the summer means you can expect a decrease in control and general a reduction in performance.

Secondly, winter tyres are made from a compound that has more silica in it, which means they stay soft and supple even in freezing temperatures. In very cold conditions, the rubber of a summer tyre. This is because winter tyres are designed for use in temperatures below 7°C.

In summer it’s typically too warm, so they heat up too fast, and this significantly impacts their rate of wear. On snow, the gap widens considerably, as the sipes on winter tyres offer grip even when the tread is packed with soft snow.

In such conditions, a two-wheel-drive car with winter tyres is invariably safer than 4xon summer tyres. During the snow test, the summer tyre had less than 50% of the grip.

In temperatures below 7°C the compound and rubber in a summer tyre begins to harden. The surface of the tread blocks is covered with small jagged slits – called sipes.

Both winter tyres and summer tyres are built specifically to tackle the elements of their specific season - meaning using a tyre in the wrong season could lead to problems on the road. If you leave winter tyres on your car, they can still cope easily with ambient temperatures of 20°C, so you don’t have to worry about a loss of grip or the tyres wearing out rapidly. Summer tyres provide better all-round performance in the warmer months.

They have a relatively hard compound which softens in milder temperatures to be able to adapt to dry as well as wet roads. Above 7°C, the tyres remain firm, allowing them to grip the road easily in warmer temperatures. Some winter tyres are now suitable for all-year use, says Honest John Circle of life A colleague told me that winter tyres might be illegal in the summer because of variable speed ratings.

Countries in Europe normally have cold winter months and this kind of season usually entails blankets and blankets of snow on the road. Because of this reality, motorists and drivers should make it a point to make use of two alternative sets of tyres. The first set is for the summer season and the second set is for the winter season. It is a common misconception that winter tyres are only for driving in the snow.

If you do use winter tires in the summer, you can expect those tires to have less tread for the following winter. That means your tires won’t channel snow, slush or water as well. Swapping Tires Can Be Easy and Free.

In contrast, summer tyres ’ lower rolling resistance has a positive effect on fuel economy.

Finally, summer tyres have shorter stopping distances in warmer temperatures while winter tyres have shorter stopping distances in colder weather. This is important to bear in mind if you’re using your winter tyres in milder temperatures or your. Also, the stopping distance is extended. Testing shows that driving on winter tyres in summer increases the braking distance by at least per cent on dry tarmac and per cent on wet tarmac.

This is due to the way winter tyres are designed compared to summer tyres – both are specifically designed in order to tackle the elements of their particular season, and offer optimal performance. The better grip of winter tyres works in all seasons so they are perfectly safe to drive in warm dry weather.

The reasons for not doing so are all related to that increased grip - they will be noisier, consume more fuel and wear considerably faster than a summer tyre. When to fit summer tyres. Drivers who switch back and forth between summer and winter certified tyres generally make the swap when temperatures fall consistently below 7°C. At this point the compound and rubber in a summer tyre begins to harden, making them less responsive and detracting from their optimum performance.

The British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association said that a car fitted with winter tyres, braking from 62mph on a col wet roa will out-brake a car fitted with normal tyres by around five metres. Every tyre is a compromise, but the compromise for all-season models has a wider range - combining the performance required in both winter and summer.

Some countries allow visitors to drive on ‘normal’ tyres fitted with snow chains when road conditions or local signs dictate – but it is important to check rules before you depart on holiday. This allows them to stay supple as temperatures drop below degrees C in.