Winter tyres feature uniquely designed tread patterns, which function best when you are driving in cold winter weather. From six degrees Celsius and below, these unique patterns work together with bespoke rubber composites to hold motorists on the road.
A vast number of motorists think that the winter tyre is only helpful when driving on snow. However, they are badly mistaken, as there is considerably more to them than that.
The tread pattern is designed to disperse more water than traditional tyres when driving in the wet, while the compound itself is more elastic, meaning added grip is generated when it’s cold, irrespective of whether it’s dry or not.
That being said, winter tyres do come into their own when it is snowing. Small grooves in the tyres help stop the snow building up and hindering the tread channels.
If you have ever had the joy of creating a snowman, you will know the speed of which snow masses when it is compacted, and this is the main reason that conventional tyres are far less effective in snowy circumstances.
Although winter tyres are an astonishingly useful addition to your car, it is worth mentioning your insurer when you have fitted them. The reason being that, somewhat foolishly, there are insurance companies out there who identify winter tyres as an aftermarket alteration, despite the fact they offer safety advantages in those cold, dark winter months.
Are winter tyres worth it?
If you are buying a different vehicle, then you might want to weigh up the benefits of winter tyres over four-wheel-drive versions. The latter will command a premium of approximately £1,500 on models that have it as an alternative, but you could get a set of adequate winter tyres for half that price.
However, if there is no grip, then a four-wheel-drive vehicle won’t get much further than a two-wheel-drive car on the equivalent tyres. Moreover, under braking, the benefit of 4WD is restricted to virtually non-existent.
According to leading tyre producer Continental, a car fitted with winter tyres braking on snow can come to a halt from 31mph in 35 metres, which is eight metres, or about two car lengths lower than if it was fitted with summer tyres.
The discrepancy is even more pronounced on ice. At a slow 18mph, a car with standard tyres takes an additional 11 metres to stop, which is around the size of a bus.
If you are further north where temperatures are frequently in single numbers, or you know that you’ll be driving for countless miles over the winter, then it’s worth contemplating a set of winter tyres.
However, they don’t come cheap.
If you own a small hatch, then a set of four winter tyres will cost in the range of £500. That is a lot less than 4WD, but still quite an expense. You also need to think whether it’s worth paying for a set of wheels to fit them on.
This might be costly, but then if you’re continually switching, it may work out less to get a set of more affordable steel rims to fit them on than going to your regional tyre fitter every time you want to swap over. There’s no point in attempting to fit them yourself, as you need dedicated tools to mount and balance the tyres on the wheels.
Despite all these difficulties, we’d strongly advise financing in a set of winter tyres if you can afford to buy them because they make driving in cold weather considerably safer.
Winter tyres and wheels
If you’ve purchased a set of winter tyres, then the most natural course of action is to replace your standard tyres on your car’s wheels. This is correctly done at a tyre fitter so that they can fit and adjust your wheels properly. However, that does mean you’ll be returning to your tyre fitter in the springtime to put your regular tyres back on.
Another option is to buy a set of wheels to go with your new winter tyres. You could get a matching set of alloy wheels, but a more affordable alternative is to either get a smaller wheel configuration or even basic steel wheels if they’re accessible. Cars get rather filthy over winter anyway, so a set of steels won’t ruin your car’s looks much.
If your car has a new full-size wheel, it’s worth contemplating fitting that with a winter tyre as a matter of course. There’s a more substantial chance of punctures in winter due to potholes, while a winter tyre is OK to drive for a brief period in warm weather, as long as you replace the punctured tyre as soon as feasible.
Currently, there’s no such object as a winter-spec space-saver, but conventional space-savers feature treads that are designed to work in a variety of conditions, generally at speeds up to 50mph. If your car has run-flat tyres, you could get winter run-flats that remain useable even following a puncture.
Winter tyre storage and ‘tyre hotels’
One barrier to fitting winter tyres is having someplace to store your extra set of tyres when they’re currently not in action. If you haven’t got a garage to put them in, it can be a real nuisance, and that’s where the tyre hotel appears.
This service is possible at some main dealers or high street tyre retailers and means you can keep your tyres protected for a yearly fee. However, some firms will only store your tyres, not the wheels that they’re applied to.
If you have storage amenities, then the tyres need to be kept in a cool, dark and reasonably well-ventilated spot so that they stay in a safe condition. Continental recommends that fitted tyres should be inflated to 1 bar (about 14psi) and be hung from the wheel spokes, although we’d recommend caution, as not all wheels are invented to be stored like this.
If your only option is to pile your tyres, then they should be restocked every month to keep their shape. Moreover, if your tyres aren’t fitted to a wheel, then stand them in a tyre rack and turn them each month.
