Don’t use summer tyres when driving in winter conditions

Summer tyres shouldn’t be used during the winter season. To be protected and able to drive safely during the winter season, you will need to have winter tyres or then winter approved all-weather tyres.  Dedicated winter tyres are tyres that should only be used during the winter and should be paired with a set of summer tyres. Summer tyres can handle all the seasons except winter and you should then switch to winter tyres before the winter arrives. If you go with all-weather tyres you can use them during the whole year.

The all-weather tyres have a rubber compound that can handle both warm and cold temperatures, so that you will have traction regardless of temperature, while with summer tyres they will become hard at low temperatures and lose most of its traction. This is bad news, as you really need good traction during the winter season. The tread pattern is also very different between the all-weather and the summer tyres, as the all-weather tyres have a pattern that is optimized to have excellent grip on ice and snow, while still work on dry and wet tarmac during the summer. This is not always an easy to develop trade off, but these tyres have made it work and therefore you can drive safely regardless of what weather you have or what will come. You don’t have to worry about changing tyres before the winter season arrives.

Summer tyres should only be used during the warm seasons when the temperature is above 0° C. Once you go below this you are better off having a winter tyre or all-weather tyres. The problem with summer tyres is that they become hard once you go below zero degrees and won’t be able to provide sufficient grip on slippery surface. It is still recommended that if you have a long and distinct winter period that you actually change to a dedicated winter tyre and pair it with summer tyres.

This will give you the best safety and performance throughout the year, however it does require that you change tyres and that you change on time. That means that you will need to have the winter tyres on your car before the winter arrives and even as soon as the temperatures drop to freezing. The worst that can happen is that you are caught without winter-approved tyres once the winter has arrived as you will have very little grip and driving will not be safe

If this would happen that you end up with summer tyres during winter conditions, it is always advisable not to drive and take alternative transportation to your destination. If it is not possible, try to get your car towed to the service station for a tyre change or then do the tyre change yourself before driving anywhere. The worst you can do it to head out in traffic without tyres that are approved for winter.

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