What Are Winter Tyres?

UK roads are not well-prepared for winter weather, and a lot of accidents happen due to many not using dedicated winter tyres, resulting in longer braking distances and a higher likelihood of aquaplaning. This could be through stubbornness or more likely drivers not knowing exactly what benefits winter tyres can provide.

What should be known about winter tyres is that they are not only more reliable in the winter, but also safer. According to the RAC, these rubbers shorten your stopping distance by over 5 metres in cold conditions, and have the adequate tread depth to handle snow, rain and other climatic obstacles that would otherwise leave your car struggling. 

Winter tyres are also more likely to save you money, and could even save your life in extreme cases.

In this article, we go into the finer details of winter tyres, deciphering what to use them for, when you should use them and whether they are worth it in the UK.

Why Use Winter Tyres?

Winter tyres use a special tread pattern and softer rubber compound that provides the driver with superior grip on the road during cold, snowy, wet and icy conditions. The tread itself has more grooves, also known as sipes, cut into it to further move water away to allow the tyre to dig into the snow and ice. Secondly, the tyre compound is made with more silica to stay soft even through cold weather, and finally, the rubber blocks of a winter tyre vibrate more to shake out as much excess snow as possible. This adds up to a set of boots designed for creating as smooth a surface as possible, and the best winter tyres will handle whatever winter has to throw at them.

The difference between summer and winter tyres in snowy, icy or rainy weather is like wearing trainers versus wearing hiking boots. These are heavy-duty tyres that will tough out the cold without bringing major risk to your car’s stability. Rather than suffering with summer tyres in the winter, it’s far better to get a seasonal set, and in many countries, this is not only common but required.

Winter tyres in Europe are much more widely-used, and in several cases, mandatory by law. This is particularly true in Eastern European countries where winter weather is harsh; on the contrary, UK law for winter tyres is non-existent.

There are a few alternatives that add to summer tyres rather than having to store an extra set of tyres. Snow socks are a cost-effective way of driving through snow, but they are for use exclusively on snow and must be put on and taken off immediately as you hit normal roads. Snow chains offer the same help with even more grip, but using them on normal roads will damage your car and take even longer to attach and take off. 

Therefore, utilising winter tyres provides the most longevity for protecting your vehicle against the colder weather.

Can You Use Winter Tyres All Year Round?

Knowing when to change to winter tyres is crucial, as driving on ice with summer tyres proves. The best practice is to start making efforts to set aside time for winter tyre replacement as soon as November is over. By March, you should be fine to use summer tyres again. While the best winter tyres are durable during cold and wet conditions, they are not designed for use all year round.

All-season tyres are a good compromise between summer and winter tyres, having a hard enough compound to endure warmer weather, but soft enough to cope with winter roads. Though they may not be able to handle extreme winter conditions, they are an excellent alternative that you can feasibly drive 365 days of the year.

LK Performance offers a top-class range of all-season tyres at a great price that gives you the performance benefits of both summer and winter tyres without the need to change every six months.

If you’re new to car enhancement and not sure of which tyres fit your car, our free online vehicle fitment checker allows you to filter our entire store to just the tyres that fit your car. Our database of over 30m records has all the necessary finer details of your model, so you can shop knowing you’ll be able to get a set of all-season tyres that are the perfect size.

Can You Use Winter Tyres In the Summer?

If winter tyres are so resilient and grippy, why not use them in the summer too? The reason for that is the treads will wear much faster in the hot summer months. Plus, just like how summer tyres generate less grip in the winter, the opposite is true for winter tyres. They are designed for their respective weather conditions and don’t fare well in the other, so a changeover is still necessary to preserve both.

Are Winter Tyres Worth It?

With safety being the number one concern of winter driving, having the appropriate tyres is always the best solution. Getting a set of winter tyres online will allow you to drive in harsher conditions with far less risk of sliding and snow build-up, which you can’t put a price on. 

LK Performance is the UK’s most trusted aftermarket car part marketplace, and with us, you can buy winter tyres that are high in quality and low in price. We stock from the most reputable brands in the world - including Yokohama, Continental, Goodyear, Falken and more - and bring them to one hive. We even give quality ratings for each tyre to give you additional information about the noise levels, fuel economy and wet grip. Simply enter your tyre specs and start searching today.

Plus, buying with us means you have access to our free tyre fitting service at our state-of-the-art fitting centre. This is where we provide a range of services that restore vehicle health, upgrade vehicle performance or make seasonal changes to cope with changing weather conditions. Order from LK Performance today and drive safely this winter.