[Chestnut]

Winter tyres are fitted by many of our European cousins during the colder seasons, yet us Brits still mostly stick with summer rubber all year round.

Attitudes are beginning to change in the UK, though, and slowly demand for seasonal tyres is picking up. To see if this trend is a worthwile one, AutoCar sample some cold weather tyres on an unlikely winter vehicle, before offering advice on how to best look after these specialised tyres, and yourself, on wintry British roads: https://www.autocar.co.uk/winter-tyre-tips

 

[hewesy]

It's an interesting article, but it makes no mention of the fact that winter tyres only work best when the temp is well into single figures (most are normally 7deg or less I gather). The little FAQ bit at the bottom also seems a bit at odds with the main article.

I'd say there are two big issues facing winter tyres, 1. being cost and storage and 2. the fluctuation of UK weather day to day.

1. Presuming you can afford them, how many drivers have space or skills to store and fit a 2nd set of wheels and tyres? There are deals for garages to store and swap for you (most express places offer this now) but where and how are they stored? Are they stored off the ground or just marked and bundled up?

2. How many really cold days does the bulk of the UK experience to make costs beneficial? Noting too their own experience with incorrect speedo's - a couple of speeding fines and your cost benefits are wiped out in fines and higher premiums. Speaking of premiums, does your insurance company need to know and will they adjust accordingly if you are deemed to be taking a higher risk venturing out when with standard tyres you'd stop in?

I'm sure they are beneficial to a band of motorists (delivery drivers, public vehicles e.g. buses, emergency services, breakdown crews etc) and the ability to stop and steer vs just getting traction isn't to be sniffed at but you could arguably get a similar result by waiting for the local authority to treat the road and for the temp to rise slightly during the later morning - noting most traffic is bumper to bumper and slow moving. and how many folks can now work at home to reduce the risk and not loss costs to businesses?

Hewesy

 

[Kristoff]

We've got snow today but it was warm yesterday and set to be sunny tomorrow. It is hard to justify the cost and storage of winter tyres for an odd couple of days a year. I would like to see the price come down and then it might make it a more viable option.

 

[hewesy]

I'd agree, I think all weather tyres might make more sense for most drivers though really.

Hewesy