Not everyone in the UK lives in a region that is swept by ice, snow, and blizzards every winter making winter tyres a necessity. Nor is every area of the British Isles sweltering in unbearable hot summer weather requiring summer tyres. (Although there are times…!)
However, the truth is that many areas throughout the UK, especially in the northern climes, are subject to wet, snowy, and sometimes icy road conditions. Which is, of course, why so many of us prefer to drive on reliable winter tyres during that season.
And summers can, and have, become quite warm though rarely in high 30’s as we experienced recently. So, it is important to regularly swap out your winter tyres for summer tyres each year, and preferably before August lest you be caught driving on incredibly hot bitumen on tyres not designed for those conditions.
Summer Tyres vs Winter Tyres
It is most likely apparent to drivers that there are good reasons for driving on certain types of tyres each season. But not everyone knows what makes summer tyres and winter tyres significantly different.
The experts at Continental Tyres tell us that,
“Summer tyres have a dedicated rubber compound that delivers excellent grip and handling on both dry and wet roads in warmer conditions. Winter tyres provide outstanding grip on road surfaces covered with snow and ice, as well as wet roads in cold conditions.”
It’s also important to keep in mind that summer tyres perform best in temperatures above +7 degrees C, while your winter tyres perform best in temperatures below +7 degrees C.
Summer Tyres, Winter Tyres – What’s the Difference?
To help explain the distinctions a bit further, we can turn to the folks at Uniroyal Tyres. Here are the primary attribute of summer tyres:
- Summer tyres provide better all-round performance in the warmer months. They have a relatively hard compound which softens in milder temperatures to be able to adapt to dry as well as wet roads.
- Summer tyres have fewer sipes than winter tyres but have specially designed tread bars to minimise aquaplaning. These provide more grip both longitudinally and laterally in warm temperatures. ensuring lots of grip on wet and dry roads.
- Summer tyres tend to have a simple block-shaped tread pattern, providing a large footprint with the road. This ensures excellent handling and have a massive impact on the braking distance.
Winter tyres, on the other hand, display these unique characteristics:
- Winter tyres have a higher natural rubber content which keeps them supple in the cold. The softer they are, the more the tyre is able to interlock with the road surface, improving grip and handling.
- Winter tyres also have thousands of tiny grooves (known as sipes) in their tread blocks which are used to disperse water and prevent aquaplaning. These grooves bite into the snow, slush, and ice, providing optimal grip with the road.
- They also have a deep tread pattern. This provides a cavity for snow. Strangely, nothing grips snow better than snow, and the compacted snow intensifies the grip effect, adding traction to push the vehicle forwards on snowy and icy roads.
Expert Tyres: The Sheffield Region’s Mobile Professional Tyre Service Provider
When it’s time for that seasonal tyre swap you might be tempted to do it yourself. And, while that is not always a bad idea, it’s certainly not an option for everyone. However, making a trip to your nearby tyre shop or garage twice each year just to swap out your seasonal tyres might seem a bit burdensome.
Which is why being able to ring up a local mobile tyre service like Expert Tyres is such a brilliant move.
As a mobile tyre service, we come to you and at your convenience.
We also understand that fitting your tyres for a seasonal tyre swap properly and quickly is of the utmost importance. And Expert Tyres can also be there when you need new tyres fitted, or urgently need to have a tyre puncture repair taken care of
Just ring us at 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!