Winter tyres are an important part of driving in areas of the country where cold and low temperatures make driving a challenge. Winter tyres are seasonal tyres and are designed specifically to provide traction when ambient temperatures drop towards freezing point. If you live in a region where extreme winter occurs you should opt for winter tyres from renowned tyre brands.

You should switch to winter tyres as the temperature starts from 7 degrees Celsius to get better traction and maximum safety during winter conditions.

Note: Before you replace your tyres, check the tyre specifications and follow the vehicle manufacturer’s replacement tyre restrictions. 

In this blog post, we are going to talk all about winter tyres and why should you opt for them. We also discuss how winter Bridgestone tyres Birmingham are different from summer and all-season tyres. If you are interested in knowing more about winter tyres then keep reading.

Best Time To Swap From Summer Or All-Season Tyres To Winter Tyres

In general, summer and all seasons tyres may start to become less effective and offer less performance as temperatures start to fall below 7 degrees Celsius. Thus, as temperatures start to consistently drop below 7 degrees Celsius if you are planning to use winter tyres, it is the right time to swap to winter tyres.

If you are looking for an alternative option of switching seasonal Cheap Tyres in Birmingham, you may go for Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady tyres, they are premium all-season tyres as your year-round option.

An important advice for the 7 degrees Celsius temperature recommendation, you should consider the time of day you are driving. Most car drivers commute in the early morning, this would be one of the coldest times of the day. So rest of the day might be warmer, pay attention to the temperature overnight into the early morning hours.

Why Switch To Winter Tyres?

Winter tyres are specially designed to perform better in colder temperatures, whereas summer tyres tend to become stiffer and more inflexible during colder temperatures, giving less grip during winter conditions.

However, summer tyres perform better in warmer climates, as they have tread patterns with deep grooves that are stiffer to give better handling on dry and wet roads. The summer tyres are designed to handle extreme heat than the winter tyres.

What Makes A Winter Tyre Different?

Winter tyres are made up of rubber compounds that are designed to stay more flexible even in extremely cold temperatures. They are designed with deeper treads and sipes that can help give better traction on ice and snow. A deeper tread allows the tyre’s contact patch to penetrate and grip slippery wet road surfaces during winter.

Winter tyres should be used in a full set of four tyres so that you will get the best performance possible. Having tyres with different seasons of tyres in the same vehicle can drastically upset the way the car handles and can result in loss of control.

Should Winter Tyres Be Used On An All-Wheel Drive SUV?

While all-wheel drive does have some advantages compared to two-wheel drive for start-up grip, it does not offer any benefit for stopping grip because all four tyres brake whether the vehicle is all, front or rear-wheel drive. By using winter tyres on your all-wheel drive vehicle, you will improve your stopping grip, while also enhancing your cornering grip and start-up.

When fitting dedicated winter tyres, we recommend they be installed on all four-wheel positions. If you install only two high-grip winter tyres from one end of your Vehicle, it can result in a handling imbalance. But, if you only install two winter tyres, they should be placed on the rear axle to reduce the handling instability.

Can You Use Winter Tyres All Year?

Once you feel the weather starts to warm up, you don’t need extra deep tread to maintain grip throughout the snow. Since the rubber used on winter tyres is designed to be flexible at lower temperatures it will result in increased wear on dry and warm roads. The mixture of soft rubber and deep tread may lead to decreased warm-weather performance from your winter tyres.

When To Switch Back To Summer Or All-Season Tyres?

If you decide to use winter tyres in your car, once the ideal temperature begins to stay above 7 degrees Celsius overnight, it’s time to consider switching back to your summer or all-season tyres. This will help to get the maximum performance and life from your winter tyres.

What Is The Difference Between Snow Tyres And Studded Tyres?

Goodyear WinterCommand® Ultra tyres are high-performance snow-cheap tyres Birmingham with a directional tread pattern and deep moulded grooves to help drain water away from the tyre surface on slushy and wet roads.

If you are driving on hard-packed snow and ice-covered roads, choosing a winter tyres that can be studded with ice-gripping tract studs is a good option for you. If you want good quality winter tyres, we recommend you go for Goodyear’s WinterCommand.