It is no secret that the  majority of the UK has been battered by the beast from the east this past week or so, and conditions have become very snowy and icy. Across the country, roads have been closed, cars have been snowed in, and unfortunate accidents have occured. But, although Europeans are well versed in changing their summer tyres to winter tyres, Brits are more skeptical about needing the change due to our winter climates being much more benign. However, it has been proven multiple times that you do not need to live high up in a snowy alp to benefit from the advantages of winter tyres during the cold months. 

If your budget allows it, despite the hassles of changing and storing summer tyres, winter tyres are highly beneficial for many reasons, and in this blog post, we will include not only benefits, but how and why tyres have better grip in temperatures below 7 degrees celsius. 

Why Winter Tyres?

Winter tyres are developed with a compound that contains more natural rubber and advanced silica in order to reduce hardening of the tyre in cold weather, especially below 7 degrees celsius. As well as innovative technology, winter tyres have ‘sipes’ which are tiny slits in the tread blocks. The use of these includes picking up snow which helps the tyre stick to the road and therefore, increase the grip. In comparison to summer tyres that are developed to perform well in mild weather, their tread pattern is not built to grip snow covered and icy roads. 

Benefits of Winter Tyres

The first very obvious perk of winter tyres are their braking distances and speeds. A vehicle with winter tyres fitted in cold weather will stop around 11 meters sooner on icy roads than the same car fitted with summer tyres. That’s the length of 3 cars and can be the difference between yours and others safety and an accident from occurring. 

You will have more control of your vehicle and enhanced stability that has winter tyres fitted. This comes thanks to the fantastic grip winter tyres provide. Especially when you take into consideration that 48% of winter accidents are caused by cars skidding. This risk is reduced by having winter tyres fitted to your car whilst driving in these freezing conditions.

Are Winter Tyres Worth The Investment?

Although yes, winter tyres are an investment, they are worth more than the pounds you spend on them. Investing in pricier tyres will mean you are investing in not only your safety but others around you too. Although you will have the initial cost, you can store your summer tyres and their life will be preserved, ready to perform just as well as soon as the weather warms up again. 

If you are the proud owner of a compact hatch, then a set of four winter tyres will most likely cost in the region of around £500, although it is always worth shopping around before making your final purchase as prices tend to vary. Either way, £500 is far less than what you would be paying for 4 wheel drive tyres. You may also wish to consider whether it is worth buying a set of new wheels to fit your tyres on. 

For winter tyres at a range of prices and brands, check out our website where we supply tyres for every budget.