Snow and ice can be a surprise on the road, so it is more than recommended that at this time we mount winter tires on our car, which can be the guarantee of a safe trip without skidding. There is no specified date for the assembly of winter tires, as it depends on the weather conditions … but it is true that their use can win whole. So, can we ride them all year round?
Winter tires are always the best choice
We all know the advantages of winter tires, especially for their efficiency and safety skills in adverse conditions and especially in snow.
Together with the greater elasticity of the compound, it must be added that in general the winter ones are more flexible than the summer ones , since with them a more elastic tread band is sought that allows copying and adapting much better to the road and achieving maximum grip. . In addition, these covers reach their working temperature much faster and are therefore also more efficient in cold conditions.
As such, and as part of winter tires, they are now commonly referred to as winter tires because their advantages can be felt not only on snowy roads, but in all winter conditions , particularly on wet surfaces at temperatures below of 7 °C.
What do we have
Changing tires twice a year can be a hassle for many drivers, who also have to find a place to store their spare set of tires. But the reality is that this is a point to take into account, especially for these seasons where the cold is lower than normal.
In fact, the ideal is to mount them in October and remove them in March , since they are not recommended when the thermometer exceeds 12°C. This means that they are not recommended for use all year round for the following reasons:
- Braking distance is increased . In some cases, when the temperature rises a lot, the distance can be double that offered by a summer tire.
- They are subjected to greater wear , so it does not make sense to use them if it is not strictly necessary since they are approximately 10% more expensive than summer tires.
- They lose effectiveness when the thermometer exceeds 30°C, as small balls begin to form in the rubber of the tire that affect the movement of the wheel.
- They limit top speed as they offer higher rolling resistance, which also means you will increase fuel economy.
It is best to mount them when temperatures drop below 7ºC
To this, we must say that, as their name says, they are expressly developed for the demands of winter driving, which are made with materials that adapt to cold.
Whether on dry, wet, snowy or icy surfaces, its flexible rubber, together with the deep treads, guarantee a better grip on the surface, since with them the maneuverability and handling of the car on the road are optimized and the friction is reduced. braking distance.
As such, of course, they are expressly indicated for ice and snow (they will never replace chains, of course), but they are also very important for conditions such as traveling in the rain. The reason for this is in the drawing: deeper, with more angles and with more lamellae that speed up the evacuation. The same thing happens on ice sheets; where a conventional tire would start to dance out of control, winter tires maintain a degree of traction.
Therefore, what we can tell you is to change your tires to adapt to the weather conditions, also saving energy and fuel and guaranteeing greater driving safety.