Many people think of snow and ice when they think of winter tyres.
And, the truth is, the region in and around Sheffield there is occasionally snow during the winter, but there have been several recent winters have been snow-free. However, it certainly rains quite a bit in Sheffield and the surrounding region.
On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature can often drop to around -3°C. Yet, even in the coldest month of the year here, January, rarely gives us daytime temperatures below 1°C, which means little or no ice.
However, Sheffield has been noted as a city with significant rainfall and even in the driest month there is a great deal of rain. December is the wettest month with 89 mm of precipitation. And it is often a cold rain.
And this is exactly the type of weather that winter tyres are designed for.
How Winter Tyres Outperform Summer Tyres in Winter Weather
It is important to keep in mind that the most crucial factor regarding seasonal tyre performance is temperature. And that would be both the ambient temperature – or air temperature – and the road surface temperature.
In fact, road surface temperature, known as RST, is a critical measurement for road gritters when determining the need to grit road surfaces. During the day, sunlight provides sufficient radiation to keep both road surfaces and the surrounding air warmer than at night.
But, as the Met Office notes,
“At night, without incoming radiation, roads lose heat quicker than the air. In winter, this often means RSTs fall to a lower minimum temperature than the air and do so more quickly. This is why you can get a frost on the roads, grass and cars, even if the air temperature is above freezing.”
One of the performance advantages that winter tyres have over the summer counterparts is how the tyre rubber compound reacts to the cold road surface temperatures in winter.
Summer tyres, for example, have a relatively hard compound which softens in warmer temperatures to adapt to dry as well as wet roads. Summer tyres also have fewer sipes than winter tyres. These are small slit in the tire’s tread block that create additional tread surface area for increased grip in wet conditions. However, summer tyres do have specially designed tread bars to minimise aquaplaning.
Winter tyres, on the other hand, have a higher natural rubber content which makes for a softer compound.
As Uniroyal Tyres explains,
“The interplay between the tyres’ rubber compound and the road changes as temperatures rise. This affects the tyres’ grip. Summer tyres harden below +7 degrees C while winter tyres’ specially developed compound guarantees flexibility, even below +7 degrees C.”
People Lie, But Statistics Do Not: Winter Road Safety in the UK
An article recently noted that Admiral Car Insurance had data showing that more severe road traffic accidents were happening in winter. This was attributed to motorists not being prepared for winter weather driving, as well as ignoring weather warnings.
“The months of November, December and January have been reported to have the highest volume of car insurance claims over the year according to Admiral, this is naturally due to the changing weather and road conditions during the winter months.”
Another firm shared these sobering statistics recently:
- On average more than 20 percent of all road accidents occur on icy or wet roads. This can differ from city to city as this figure is as high as 30 percent in Manchester for example.
- You are approximately 20 percent more likely to be involved in an accident during wintry conditions.
And an analysis of Department for Transport and Office for National Statistics data found that , on average, 21 percent of all crashes in the UK in the months of December to March are linked to treacherous winter conditions.
A Dubious Claim to Fame…
Oh, and that Manchester and Sheffield both had a high percentage of crashes relative to all cities in the UK.
Research shows that UK drivers are six times more likely to have an accident in the winter than in the summer. The good news is that fitting winter tyres can significantly reduce the risk of being in an accident this winter.
So, to sum it all up, the main reasons why winter tyres are really needed are:
- Winter tyres grip cold roads, regardless of whether they’re wet, dry, snowy, or icy.
- Snow grips snow. In compact snow, the tread grooves of winter tyres fill with snow which grips the snow on the road.
- Specially designed treads disperse more water, helping reduce aquaplaning and improving handling.
- At colder temperatures, braking distances are improved. When driving at 62mph on winter tyres in temperatures of 7ᵒC and braking on a wet road, a car will stop 4.8 metres sooner than with summer tyres.
For Mobile Professional Tyre Services in the Sheffield Region’s Simply Ring Expert Tyres
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 brilliant!
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 Quick and Reliable Tyre Services for Your Car
You can have most all your tyre services provided by our mobile Expert Tyre specialists without having to go somewhere else.
Expert Tyres’ technicians are highly trained and professional. We regularly check our prices against our competitors and strive to offer you the best value. And Expert Tyres is proud to serve the surrounding Sheffield region including the nearby towns of Rotherham and Chesterfield.
Our expert tyre services include regular seasonal tyre swaps for both winter and summer driving, as well as mobile new tyre fitting, 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 provide our customers with the best quality tyre services at the best prices every time.
Expert Tyres is mobile! And that means having your tyres at your convenience!