Winter is coming!
And the best way for you to prepare for it, as a motorist, is to have the toughest winter tyres on your side.
One might argue that all-season tyres are winter-worthy and investing in a set of winter tires could be redundant.
But that argument holds no merit.
Winter tyres are not just a nomenclature change to standard tyres. They are engineered completely different from the summer as well as the all-season range of tyres. They offer the best performance when the weather is extremely cold and you may have to drive through rain or snow.
In most parts of the UK, it doesn’t snow during the winter, but as you go further north, winter is synonymous with snowing. For both these weather conditions, it is important to switch to winter tyres from your summer or all-season tyres to ensure maximum safety while driving.
What are the features of winter tyres that make them ready for the onslaught?
- The tread compounds of a winter tyre are completely different from the summer tyres. They have a higher percentage of rubber in them, which keeps the tyres soft and supple even in extremely low temperatures so they can grip the road. Winter tyres are highly effective when temperatures go below the seven-degree celsius mark.
Whereas the summer tyres’ tread compounds work best at higher temperatures. Their tread compounds would harden when it gets cold. Hard rubber doesn’t grip the road and will become a safety hazard.
- The tread pattern and tread depth on a winter tyre stand out distinctly from summer or all-season tyres. Their treads are deeper and narrower, to evacuate any slush, sludge or even murky water during rain and improve traction. And when its snows, nothing grips snow like snow. So the deep tread grooves compact the snow and increase the road grip. Apart from the grip, winter tyres traction enables a reduced braking distance, as well as better cornering and handling when driving through slush.
- A unique design feature of winter tyres is the small serrations on the tyre surface on the treads, called sipes. The sipes density on winter tyres is high. Sipes creates smaller biting surfaces for the tyres to hold and increase the road grip to a large extent.
- The permissible safety tread depth ofr winter tyre is 4mm as compared to 3 mm of summer tyres.
Winter tyres as compared to summer tyres reduce the risk of driving in wet and damp roads or even snow. The chances of sliding, aquaplaning and unpredictable braking performance can be brought down significantly increasing your chances for safe and effective driving.
Using Winter tyres in the UK during the rainy and snowy condition will improve the overall mileage of the car, if not used, along with safety even the mileage will be compromised and the regular tyres will wear out much more than usual.
Storing Winter Tyres in UK
But, motorists also need to keep in mind to switch back to summer or all-season tyres when the season changes. Winter tyres will be worn out and utterly not useful during the sunny season.
It is also important to make sure that the winter tyres are stored appropriately so they functional and serviceable life can be increased. One has to mindful to not stack them up, which will affect the structural integrity of the sidewall.
Run-Flat Winter Tyres
Run-flat tyres are the new tyre technology that allows you to drive even when the tyre is punctured. And having run-flat winter tyres add on to the safety factor.
Run-flat tyres are designed with extra rubber and reinforced sidewall to take on the load of the vehicle. The main design feature is the sealant that will fill in the gaps created by an object. The vehicle can travel a distance of 60 to 100 km at a nominal speed on run-flat winter tyres after a puncture.
Winter tyres are a highly effective choice of tyres for driving in winter in the UK.
Complete Name: Subhasish Nanda