Why Get Winter Tyres and How is Different From other Seasonal Tyres?

Posted by James Planket
5
Aug 2, 2023
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People frequently overlook how crucial their tyres are to driving safely. It's crucial to keep your tyres in excellent condition since, when you think about it, they are the only point of contact between your automobile and the road. So get your tyres which are desired by the weather conditions.

Why do we need winter tyres?

In temperatures below 7°C, winter tyres are made to provide more traction, grip, and braking performance. Summer and all-season tyres are made of rubber compounds that work best in warmer climates. As a result, when the temperature drops, the rubber contracts and hardens, making it harder for your car to grip the road.

Winter Tyres Smethwick also perform better in the rain, on snow, and ice due to their larger tread patterns and unique sipe grooves.When driving in the rain, the larger tread helps to remove water from the underneath of the tyre, reducing the risk of aquaplaning over puddles and still water.

This suggests that winter tyres would be a wise purchase given the typically chilly and dreary winter weather we see here in the UK, even if it doesn't snow.

However, when used in the snow, the wide tread actually helps to trap snow inside the tyre. Nothing grabs snow better than snow itself, which may seem counter intuitive, therefore the tyres will be considerably stickier and so probably safer to operate in snowy situations.

It's crucial to remember, though, that just fitting a set of winter tyres won't make your car as adept at managing snow and ice as it would on dry pavement. Although your overall grip levels will still be significantly lowered, driving in challenging icy conditions requires constant caution.

Winter tyres versus Summer tyres

Moving on to the comparison of various tyre kinds, we'll start with summer vs. winter tyres. However, keep in mind that, aside from environmental considerations, just two characteristics may identify these tyres:

  • Rubber Substance
  • Tread Design

Winter tyres, as was already said, are made of natural rubber. They provide more flexibility at extremely low temperatures as a result and do not get rigid. Summer tyres, on the other hand, feature a considerably tougher rubber compound that might crack in chilly weather. Similarly, winter tyres are a bad choice in hot weather since their rubber compound is significantly softer.

The tread blocks of winter tyres contain a deep tread pattern and hundreds of sipes (minor grooves). Additionally, these grooves can dig into the snow and improve traction. They feature a deep tread pattern for another reason: snow has the most traction.

As a result, even if the snowfall gets heavier, it still provides improved grip and helps move the car ahead. A summer tyre, on the other hand, has fewer sipes but more distinctive tread bars. By reducing aquaplaning, these tread bars enable our summer tyres to offer improved traction on both dry and wet surfaces.

Last but not least, summer tyres often have a straightforward block-shaped tread pattern that improves handling and shortens the stopping distance.

All-season tyres versus winter tyres

Roads in severely cold weather may hurl anything in front of your car, from heavy snowfall to black ice. However, because of the rubber composition and uniquely designed tread pattern, winter tyres are the best option under these circumstances.

Additionally, because All-Season Tyres are a hybrid option with less tread depth, they are unable to provide as much traction on ice roads. For instance, All-Season Tyres might be considered a regular pair of tennis shoes. While you may wear them at any time, they aren't the best option in the summer or winter.

So, if you live in a cold climate and are unsure whether to choose winter tyres or all-season tyres, winter tyres are the better option. Likewise, All-Season Tyres can provide outstanding year-round performance if you live in a region with a mild climate.

Price of winter tyres:

Similar to ordinary tyres, the cost of winter tyres will vary based on a variety of criteria. While premium winter tyres from well-known brands like Michelin, Pirelli, and Continental may cost up to and over £100 each, affordable winter tyres from budget manufacturers can be found for less than £50 each.

It is usually advised to choose the best winter tyres you can afford since, similar to summer and all-season tyres, more costly winter tyres are likely to perform better, provide greater levels of grip and braking capability, as well as superior durability.

Conclusion

The owners of strong rear-wheel drive automobiles and sports cars may now choose from a wide selection of high-performance winter tyres made by several high-end tyre manufacturers. These tyres are designed to handle cars that would be difficult to drive in slippery situations without them.

There is a common practise is to purchase winter wheels and Tyres Smethwick together. Similar to how winter tyres are built specifically for usage during the winter, winter wheels frequently have harder coatings that are made to withstand the corrosive road salts that are frequently utilized during the winter.

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