Europeans who live in more extreme weather areas than the United Kingdom are accustomed to replacing their summer tyres with winter ones once a year. Despite the skepticism of UK drivers used to milder winters, repeated tests show that you don’t have to live halfway up a snowy Alp to enjoy safer driving on a set of Bridgestone Tyres Harrow designed for cold weather.
What sets winter tyres apart?
Simple facts apply here. Your summer or standard-fit tyres are made with rubber compounds that perform best in moderate temperatures, and their tread patterns are designed to handle snow and ice that has not been compacted down.
Winter tyres are made from various rubber compositions that have been shown to provide superior wet or dry weather grip below 7 degrees Celsius. That’s significant in this case, as the average winter temperature in the UK is only 4 degrees Celsius.
Despite the fact that winter tyres are a useful addition to your vehicle, it is critical to notify your insurance company that you have installed them. The reason is that, amazingly, some insurance companies consider winter tyres to be an aftermarket addition, despite the fact that they provide safety benefits during the cold, dark winter months.
Should I invest in winter tyres?
When purchasing a new vehicle, you may wish to consider the advantages of winter tyres over the additional cost of four-wheel drive. When available, the latter will cost about £1,500 more than standard versions, but for a third of that price, you might acquire a good pair of winter tyres.
A four-wheel-drive vehicle won’t go as far as a two-wheel drive vehicle on the same tyres, though, if there is no grip. The advantages of 4WD are also essentially nonexistent when braking.
What is the cost of winter tyres?
It’s worthwhile to think about getting a pair of winter tyres if you live farther north, at a higher elevation when temperatures are frequently in the single digits, or simply if you know you’ll be driving a lot throughout the winter. But they’re not cheap.
A set of four winter tyres for a compact hatchback should usually run you about £500, but as always, it’s wise to check around since costs may vary greatly. Although much less than 4WD, that’s still a significant expense. In addition, you should decide if buying a pair of wheels to mount them on is worthwhile.
This might be pricey, but if you change your tyres every year, it can end up being less expensive to buy a pair of less expensive steel rims to suit your winter tyres rather than visiting your neighbourhood tyre shop each time. It is useless to attempt to fit them yourself since mounting and balancing the tyres on the wheels requires specialised equipment. You’ll need a place to keep the spare set of tyres, whether or not they are mounted on rims.
Despite all of these obstacles, if you can afford it, we highly suggest getting winter tyres because they significantly increase driving safety in cold weather.
Winter tyres and wheels
The easiest thing to do if you get winter tyres for your automobile is to swap out your regular tyres with the winter ones on the wheels. The ideal place to do this is at a tyre shop so they can correctly install and balance your rubber. That does, however, imply that you will see your tyre installer again in the spring to replace your standard tyres.
Purchasing a set of wheels to match your new winter tyres is an additional option. If affordable, you could purchase a set of matching alloy wheels, but if smaller wheel designs aren’t accessible, you could even have plain old steel wheels. A pair of steel wheels won’t significantly detract from the appearance of your automobile, and you can save your nice wheels for when the weather becomes warmer. Cars get fairly dirty during the winter.
Can I use winter tyres in the summer or all year round?
It is not advised. Winter tyres aren’t as efficient above seven degrees Celsius; they’re made to function at lower temperatures. When the rubber becomes warm, it will move about a lot because of the kind of rubber that is utilised and the layout of the tread pattern. This results in somewhat longer stopping distances as well as a hazy, fuzzy feeling for your automobile. Furthermore, compared to regular tyres, the soft rubber composition utilised in winter tyres will degrade more quickly in warm temperatures.It is not advisable to use winter tyres in the dryer, summer months because they are made for colder weather and “slippery” roads. Driving on winter tyre in the warmer months will not only result in poorer driving conditions but also more frequent replacements by Mobile Tyre Fitting Harrow,because they will wear out more quickly.
The middle ground between regular summer tyres and winter tyres is provided by all-season tyres. All-season tyres can function effectively in temperatures ranging from -10 to 30 degrees Celsius, while the ideal operating temperature varies. They are, as you might expect, not as excellent in the winter as they are in warm, dry climates, but the combination of tread and compound technologies they provide is a compromise that increases safety in slick situations.
