Would You Trust Your Tyres?
The majority of drivers know that snow and ice can dramatically affect their safety on the road. Steering, acceleration and braking are more difficult due to normal tyres having less grip in these conditions. However, it is not just these extreme wintry conditions which can reduce your safety on the road. Even cold, damp roads can dramatically affect the performance of tyres, leading to an increased accident risk.
Thankfully, tyre manufacturers have developed a range of winter weather tyres which are specifically designed to operate in these conditions, delivering improved safety throughout the entire winter period.
Hazardous Conditions
While snow and ice present the most obvious hazard to motorists, most drivers change their driving style to suit these conditions.
However, cold, damp roads are visually no different to wet conditions in the warmer months and drivers tend not to adjust their driving style. A tyre's performance is significantly reduced by this combination of conditions, making cold damp roads one of the highest safety risks to drivers.
Tyre Technology
Air temperature is a crucial factor in a tyre's ability to perform. When the temperature drops below 7°C, the tread compound in normal tyres begins to harden providing less grip. The tread compound in winter weather tyres contains more natural rubber and advanced silica compounds to minimise the hardening effect, giving extra grip and shorter stopping distances in cold, damp conditions. Together with sophisticated multi-sipe tread patterns, the combination is one that no summer tyre can match, making winter weather tyres the safest option from October through to March, when temperatures rarely rise above 7°C. This especially applies to commuters and business motorists who are on the roads in coldest conditions in the early morning and evening.
Difference between Summer and Winter tyres
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Tests conducted by the British Tyre Manufacturers' Association found that a car braking at 60mph on a wet road at 5°C stopped five metres shorter, equivalent to more than one car length, when fitted with winter weather tyres.
Comparison of tyres in different conditions and the braking distance
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Download our free Winter Weather Tyres leaflet (230k) or click here to see the video.
So make tracks to Peoples Ford for your Free Winter Tyre Safety Check.
Because of the severe winters we are experiencing now many people are converting to Winter Tyres.
Winter tyres have been specially developed to work best in temperatures less than 7 degrees Celsius. They look like normal tyres but offer greater levels of grip in winter conditions. Below 7°C you would stop 11 metres sooner than with summer tyres (when braking on an icy road from just 20mph). That is 4.8 metres shorter in wet conditions from 60mph.
Due to the superior grip from winter tyres it is strongly recommended that all four tyres are replaced at the same time. This will reduce the chance of skidding and give you increased grip and control than if only one axle pair is fitted.
Tyres are rated for the maximum amount of speed and weight they should carry. Typically winter tyres have a lower speed rating than the summer tyre for your car. However, even an H rated tyre still has a maximum speed of 131mph so in winter conditions – this should not be a problem.
Stack your tyres so that it is lying flat on the ground (i.e. the tread is not face down).
