Winters are particularly tougher for driving. There is not only the risk of your car skidding on snow, but even the car engine can face troubles. But if there is one thing that can help your car, it is winter tyres. Yes, you can use winter tyres, that are specially constructed to face the harsh temperatures and snow-laden roads. Thus, using winter tyres during such temperatures can ensure your safety.
In fact, many colder countries have made it a law to only use winter tyres during extremely freezing temperatures. So, the question remains: are these tyres really that good? For those who don't know, winter tyres are often considered the best choice for your cars in freezing temperatures. However, if you want to know why, you have to read the following blog that we have prepared.
First, let us learn a bit more about winter tyres. As you should already know, these tyres are constructed especially for the winter seasons, as is clear by their name, and thus, they feature a rather softer rubber compound to improve the road grip on snow-laden roads. Furthermore, these tyres are also built to handle extremely low temperatures. Combined with deeper grooves and narrow sipes, these tyres have the ability to bite into the snow to improve your traction. When you are buying tyres in Swindon, you should look for special symbols to identify winter tyres. We have covered these symbols in the sections below.
Winter tyres are made using a rubber compound that has a higher ratio of natural rubber, which makes these tyres softer. This is very important for driving on snow-laden roads. The temperature can affect the tyre’s road grip; thus, winter tyres have to remain soft, even under low temperatures, so as to ensure proper road grip. So, if you use summer tyres during winter, they will harden when the temperature falls below 7 degrees, but not winter tyres.
To understand the worth of winter tyres, you have to also understand how they work. First, let us explain one thing: unlike what the common perception is, these tyres are not “snow tyres,” rather they are tyres suitable for “cold weather.” You should know that these tyres are able to perform optimally on wet, icy, snowy, and cold roads, as long as you are using them during winter. Due to the softer rubber compound used in their manufacturing, they are capable of gripping the road perfectly.
Furthermore, the tiny grooves present on these tyres help them bite into the snow to improve traction. These sipes also help the tyres to channel water away from the center. Thus, these tyres improve braking during winter, even if you are driving on snow-covered roads.
Now, let us talk about the symbols you might find on the side of a winter tyre. These symbols not only help you identify winter tyres but also provide sufficient information about them. Typically, there are two symbols found on a winter tyre, either the M+S symbol or the 3PMSF symbol.
The M+S symbol indicates mud and snow use, meaning that the tyre is suitable for use on either a mud-laden or snow-covered road. These tyres have a custom tread design to help improve traction and road grip on these surfaces, especially when compared to summer tyres. However, the symbol is also present on all-season tyres.
Most winter tyres can be found with the three-peak mountain snowflake or the 3PMSF symbol. This ensures the buyer that the tyre has passed all the necessary inspections and is fit for use on snow-covered roads. Tyre manufacturers are required to use the symbol under EU regulation 661/2009. So, if you are buying a winter tyre but do not find the symbol, then it's best that you avoid the tyre.
Till now, we have learned a lot about winter tyres and so it's time we focus on the benefits associated with them, which makes these tyres a good choice for the season.
You should know that winter tyres are made using a specific rubber compound that has a rather high concentration of natural rubber instead of synthetic ones. This makes these tyres softer. Now, a softer tyre might wear out faster, but since winter tyres are mostly used in lower temperatures, the friction doesn't generate that much heat, hence these tyres can last. Also, the softer rubber compound makes these tyres good for snow-laden roads as they are able to grip the road properly.
Most winter tyres are applied with a hydrophilic coating that helps them absorb the moisture. Due to driving through snow, these tyres can accumulate moisture faster, and when combined with low temperatures, the moisture also doesn't evaporate that quickly. Hence, a hydrophilic coating is applied to the tyres to ensure the absorption of this moisture, which improves the traction of your vehicle.
Winter tyres also feature sipes which are small protrusions present on the grooves of your tyres. These provide an extra bite to your tyres and help with their road grip. But at the same time, these sipes also help your tyres to channel the water away from the center, hence preventing hydroplaning.
Lastly, winter tyres have a much deeper tread design than summer and all-season tyres to further aid with road grip and traction. The deeper grooves also help your car to grip the snow, as they channel the snow in the grooves, which allows the tyres to make as much contact with the road.