When and why should I fit winter tyres?
It is recommended to buy winter tyres in October when the weather beginds to get colder. The elasticity of summer tyres begins to diminish severely at temperatures below 7°C, thus reducing road contact and therefore lengthening braking time and distance. Winter tyres, on the other hand, consist of a special rubber compound with high levels of silicon or natural rubber that hold their elasticity under cold conditions. Especially on wet or icy roads, winter tyres provide much better adhesion due to their deeper tread which contain thousands of fine slits (sipes) and they will always out-perform summer tyres when it comes to braking, steering and accelerating. Furthermore the consequences of driving with summer tyres in wintery conditions should not be underestimated. If an accident occurs where you are at fault, there may be insurance issues that have to be resolved by you not having the correct tyres fitted.
