A common question that drivers in the UK often ask – especially those who are new to driving or have recently moved to Britain – is when should they swap seasonal tyres?
The spring and fall seasons are somewhat mixed in terms of weather but often devoid of extremes. However, it is during the depths of winter and the peak of summer that many drivers choose to run on specialty seasonal tyres.
And when should those be fitted?
Seasonal swaps to summer tyres are not necessarily dictated by a certain date, however, as spring begins to bring temperatures above beyond 7°C, it is generally a good time to consider swapping out your winter tyres for summer tyres.
For most drivers living in Britain, the best time to have a seasonal tyre swap done is normally at the end of March or beginning of April.
Like summer tyres, there is also no specific date to put winter tyres on your car.
According to the official Met Office website, the average daily temperature drops below 7°C in the UK between November and April. When it we get close to that time of year, car owners should be thinking about changing to winter tyres.
Seasonal Swaps vs All-Season Tyres
Britons who live in regions that experience temperature and weather extremes are often quite used to having seasonal swaps done for their car tyres. With that comes the need for storing either the summer tyres or the winter tyres, depending on which season they’re in.
And, of course, there’s the ritual visits to their local tyre shop or garage to have the seasonal swaps done.
These factors often result over time into some car owners thinking that perhaps switching to a full set of “all-season” tyres would eliminate all the fuss and bother associated with seasonal tyres.
And this can be true… to a point.
Unlike much of Europe, winter tyres are not mandatory here in the UK. However, in many regions of the United Kingdom, wisdom and caution dictate that winter tyres are a safer option. But given that driving in summer weather on winter tyres is an especially poor choice, seasonal swaps become necessary.
But the truth is, depending on where you live, switching to all-season tyres may not always be a great choice. However, all-season tyres can be more than suitable in many climes. As the experts at Barum note,
“Let’s state the facts: all-season tyres (also called all-year tyres) have a harder compound than winter tyres. And that’s what makes them more durable and less prone to wear than winter tyres. The hard compound also reduces the rolling noise. But they’re softer than summer tyres to better endure colder conditions. In turn they also sacrifice the durability of winter tyres for a better grip in summer.
At low temperatures, the compound actually hardens faster than that of winter tyres. So, driving with all-season tyres always means sacrificing braking and handling in extreme driving conditions. But they work well in average temperatures and light snow.”
All-season, or all-year, tyres work admirably all through the year in most regions because they offer some of the best of both summer and winter tyres. However, the braking distance is shorter than that of a winter tyre. So, while all-season tyres brake well on snow, they are not on par with winter tyres.
Expert Tyres: Your Mobile Professional Tyre Service Provider for Seasonal Swaps
One last look at the typical advantages and disadvantages of all-season tyres:
- Grip: All-year tyres have less grip on snow and ice than winter car tyres.
- Durability: Due to a harder compound, all-season tyres last longer vs winter tyres, though since they are driven year-round, they need to be replaced more often.
- Braking performance: On snow and ice, all-weather car tyres have a longer braking distance than winter tyres.
- Costs: By only having one set of tyres, you save storage costs and the costs for a tyre change. On the other hand, due to using them year-round, you’ll need to replace them more often.
- Time: With all-season tyres, you save the time of a tyre change.
So, for seasonal swaps or even for fitting all-season tyres, instead, you can rely on Expert Tyres.
And remember, in addition to seasonal swaps, Expert Tyres can also be there when you need new tyres fitted, or urgently need to have a tyre puncture repair taken care of. Simply call 0333 444 1026 or go to our home page and let us know what we can do for you.
At Expert Tyres, we specialise in making tyre service convenient so for you. For example, you can choose your new tyres and schedule a day and time for the fitting directly on our website.
Expert Tyres: When You Need a Quick and Reliable Tyre Swap on Your Car
You can have all your tyre services carried out by our mobile Expert Tyre specialists.
Our technicians are highly trained and professional, and we regularly check our prices against our competitors. And Expert Tyres is proud to serve the surrounding Sheffield region including the lovely towns of Rotherham and Chesterfield.
Our expert tyre services include regular seasonal tyre swaps for summer and winter driving, as well as mobile new tyre installation and our convenient mobile tyre puncture repair service. Because we are a mobile tyre service, this means that we are able to meet you where you are – whether that’s at your place of work or at home.
Our mission is to always provide our customers with the best quality tyre service at the best price.
Expert Tyres is mobile which means having your tyres at your convenience!