Driving in winter is hard enough between the rain, ice, fog, snow and long nights. There are many products that can make winter driving easier, but something that’s often overlooked is a car’s tyres. On wet and icy roads, there’s less grip and braking distances increase with regular tyres. Fit a set of winter tyres, though, and you’ll be better able to drive safely.
Seasonal use of winter tyres is legally required in most of Europe during the colder months, particularly in mountainous areas. The UK government takes a more laissez-faire approach. Winter tyres aren’t required by law here at any time of year, or in any specific area.
But, to keep yourself safe on the road, we think they’re a good idea. Indeed, it’s arguably more important to have quality tyres fitted to your car during winter than at any other time.
In this guide, we’ll explore how winter tyres differ from regular tyres, when you should have them fitted and whether they’re really worth it.
How do winter tyres work?
Heat is crucial to a tyre’s performance. It builds up as you drive along and contributes to the tyre’s ability to grip the road. A winter tyre has a higher silica content in the rubber than summer tyres, allowing it to retain more heat, stay pliable and provide grip at lower temperatures. Summer tyres tend to go hard in low temperatures, which makes them less grippy.
As a result, it’s wise to fit winter tyres as soon as the outside temperature drops into single digits to ensure you get maximum grip on the road surface.
Winter tyres also have up to 10 times more ‘sipes’ – tiny grooves in the tyre tread – that let the tread move around and generate more heat, improving grip.
Larger gaps in the tread also pick up snow. It may seem odd, but snow grips onto snow a lot better than rubber does, giving improved traction over frozen surfaces and better adhesion in corners. Once back on Tarmac, the heat generated by the tread soon melts any remaining snow.
Is it worth putting winter tyres on?
In a word, yes, because winter tyres provide a lot more grip in cold conditions than summer tyres do. That means there’s greater traction when accelerating, more grip in corners and shorter stopping distances.
Some drivers keep a set of wheels with winter tyres on them, which makes it easier to swap between summer and winter rubber. You do need somewhere to store the out-of-season wheels, but plenty of car dealers and garages offer that service – for a fee.
To illustrate the difference in performance between summer winter tyres, we tested a pair of Volvos on a low-friction skid plate at Silverstone. The results speak for themselves:
Video: summer tyres:
Video: winter tyres:
But you can’t rely solely on tyres to keep you safe on the road in winter. There are all sorts of winter driving tips for little things you can do to your car and changes you make your driving style that will help.
Can you use winter tyres all year round?
Winter tyres don’t grip as well in warm, dry conditions and tend to overheat when driving at high speeds, because the rubber they’re made from is designed to generate heat at lower speeds. That means they’re less than ideal for year-round use.
Most cars in the UK are fitted with all-season – or all-weather – tyres. They’re a bit of a compromise that doesn’t work quite as well in heat as summer tyres, or as well in the cold as winter tyres.
Should I buy winter tyres, or is there an alternative?
There are some different solutions to fitting a whole set of winter tyres (never fit half a set). None are suitable for permanent use but do have their uses.
Snow socks slip over a car’s wheels and provide extra grip on slippery surfaces. But they only work on snow, the fabric they’re made from tearing to pieces on Tarmac.
Snow chains work really well on deep snow, but also don’t work at all on Tarmac. Indeed, they can damage the road surface and even your car without snow under the wheels. They’re horrendously noisy, too.
Both socks and chains require a thorough wash after use, as they’ll corrode due to the salt used to de-ice our highways.
If you live somewhere that gets relatively mild winters, it can be viable to keep using your car’s existing summer or all-season tyres. But check your tyres thoroughly to make sure they’re in good condition. Pay particular attention to the amount of tyre tread – low tread can make winter driving even more hazardous.
Can you use winter tyres all year round?
There’s nothing to stop you using winter tyres all year round but there are a few caveats. When used in dry, warm weather, the extra rolling resistance – i.e. friction – they create will increase your fuel consumption. They may also give a less comfortable ride, wear out quicker and provide less grip in corners.
Check out our tyre advice guides that tell you everything you need to know about the four black circles that connect your car to the road.
