Winter is approaching, and that means it’s time to start preparing your car for the changing weather. For many UK drivers, navigating icy, frosty roads and extreme cold temperatures is an annual challenge we’ve long come to dread. However, when it comes to facing icy, slippery surfaces and severe cold, winterproofing your car with winter tyres may just be the ideal solution. Here is our guide to everything you need to know about winter tyres to help you see whether they should be one of your must-haves this season.

The way that they’re designed means that winter tyres are not safe to use in summer. The soft rubber compound they’re made with will wear much faster in warm temperatures and increase rolling resistance. As a result, not only will your tyres need replacing far more quickly, but they’ll also suffer very poor fuel economy. Winter tyres are best for the winter months of the year, so it’s advisable to fit them from October to March. You should then change back to summer or all-season tyres for the rest of the year.

Winter tyres are exactly what the name suggests: tyres specially designed to provide strong traction and improved grip in winter conditions. They are engineered to work best in temperatures below 7°C, as well as in snow, on ice and when driving through standing water. Winter tyres are made from a softer rubber compound which is more flexible and better able to contort to different road surfaces, providing better traction. The rubber also remains soft and flexible in cold temperatures, unlike summer tyres, which become extremely rigid when they get cold. Winter tyres also have much deeper grooves and sipes than regular tyres. These cut into snow and ice and dissipate water more quickly, providing better grip and improving braking performance. Click here for more info: pneu de camion lourd