Being a vehicle owner in the UK, you must be prepared for driving in the freezing winters. Dense fog, icy roads, and snowfall are key characteristics of the UK winters. They often pose a challenge for the drivers and vehicle owners. Driving in such conditions often leads to safety hazards, such as slipping and losing vehicle control. Preventing this is a major responsibility for the vehicle owners and drivers to avoid risking their and others’ lives. Getting prepared for the winter months is a frustrating task, but buying Winter Tyres Sunderland is not. With our tyre centre, you can be rest assured that you get genuine tyres Sunderland that offer security, luxury, and performance for your vehicle.
How do I prepare my vehicle for the winter?
This is a common question we often get asked by drivers and vehicle owners. Preparing your vehicle for winter might seem like a confusing task, but if you know your way through your vehicle’s winter checks, it becomes easier. So, we have prepared a list of parts you need to check before the winter season sets in:
Fuel: With frequent snowfall and other hindrances during the winter season, heavy traffic leads to repeated start-and-stop conditions. This requires your vehicle to consume more fuel compared to usual weather conditions. So, before the winter season sets in, check your vehicle for fuel. Check if it's enough for your journey. Refuelling more quantity is also recommended during winters by our experts.
Battery: Winters can be a nuisance for your car batteries. The lower the temperature, the harder it is for your batteries to turn over the engine. This ends up causing more strain and negative impact on your battery’s output. If your batteries are not new, it could be even more problematic for your vehicle since they are already worn out. Hence, it is essential that you recharge your batteries before the winter season. You can also replace them if you are already facing battery problems while driving.
Antifreeze: A most important component for your automobile’s engine is the antifreeze. Especially in winters, the water in your engine’s cooling system can be frozen. Antifreeze prevents such a situation from occurring. A frozen engine can cause multiple malfunctions and even a breakdown. For a healthy-functioning engine in winters, the antifreeze is essential. You also need to regularly maintain the antifreeze to keep it effective.
Lights and indicators: Driving during winters has many hindrances. The fog and snow reduces the visibility considerably. Since the winter months have longer nights, exterior lights and indicators become essential. To keep yourself and others safe on the road, the indicators and exterior lights must be checked frequently. Servicing them on time will prevent any risks of accidents or other mishaps.
Screen Wash: Topping up your screen wash only takes you 10 to 15 minutes. Yet it goes a long way in making your drives easier during winters. Dirt and ice settle easily on your windscreen, reducing your visibility. It can even lead to a frozen windscreen. This is why your screen wash is critical. But during the -15 degree temperatures, the screen wash could freeze too. To prevent this from happening, you need to top up your screen wash with products that remain effective even in freezing conditions.
Tyres: Gripping the icy, smooth surface during the winter season is tough for tyres. Especially when you use tyres that are not specifically designed for winters. Using summer or performance tyres during winters can lead to risks of hydroplaning and slipping. Our experts recommend that you use only the best-quality winter tyres Sunderland to reduce safety hazards. Frequent maintenance of tyres become important for better tyre performance in winters too.
Importance of winter tyres.
Before buying high-quality tyres Sunderland, parameters such as your driving style, usage pattern, road conditions, and weather conditions, must be considered. Since fitting inappropriate tyres for weather conditions could have huge adverse effects, it could also make your journey uncomfortable and dangerous. For usage in winter months, winter tyres are recommended, as they have advantages such as:
Enhanced Grip and Braking Performance: Winters tyres as an investment will guarantee you maximised security and comfort on icy smooth surfaces. Since driving in the winter months could always present a risk of slipping, enhanced grip and traction are of utmost significance. Winter tyres are made of soft rubber compounds that offer the best interlocking grip when compared to summer or other tyres. Winter tyres also reduce the braking distance by several metres, which enables you to stop earlier and prevent any risks of slipping or accidents.
Reduced risks of hydroplaning: For effective water channelling, winter tyres have unique tread patterns. They possess wider grooves to disperse water or snow swiftly from the tyre. Winter tyres have another feature called sipes. They are specifically designed grooves in tread patterns. Winter tyres have greater sipe density to maximise grip and traction on snow. When combined, these qualities stop hydroplaning from happening on wet or icy road surfaces.
Minimised Rolling Resistance: The efforts put in by your tyres make your vehicle move forward, is referred to as its rolling resistance. Higher the rolling resistance of a tyre, the more energy it uses. More energy means an increase in your vehicle’s fuel consumption. Winter tyres are enriched with silica as its filler material. Silica has low hysteresis at lower frequencies and high hysteresis at higher frequencies. This contributes to lower rolling resistance in winter tyres. Hence, your vehicle’s fuel efficiency is increased, and you save money.
For the best performance and efficiency of your vehicle during the winter months, choose genuine winter tyres from our garage at competitive prices. Book your appointment without any delay!