What are Winter Tyres & Why Should You Use Them?

what-are-winter-tyres

Imagine it's Wintertime; you are up with your blankets, and Christmas is around the corner. You must have thought of preparing for a road trip to a dreamy, snowy location. However, snowy and muddy roads might put a damper on your exciting plans.

That is when winter tyres for your car or vehicle come into the picture. As the name suggests, winter tyres are made for snowy roads, where they provide greater flexibility and stability to the car than normal tyres.

If you are looking to shift to winter tyres and do not exactly know what winter tyres are, follow the guide hereunder.

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What are Winter Tyres?

During the normal season, regular tyres with a balanced rubber content provide excellent smoothness and stability to a vehicle. 

However, during cold seasons, the light rubber content of these tyres hardens, and it leads to poor tyre grip. When temperatures drop below 7 degrees Celsius, winter tyres are the most ideal solution as these tyres have high rubber content. 

These combat adverse weather conditions like snow, rain, storms, mud, etc. This is possible through the hard and heavy rubber content in the tyres. So, how are these made to fight complex road surfaces? Find out in the following section.

What is the Make of Winter Tyres?

In general, the tyre’s rubber needs softness to gain a better grip and smooth transition while driving. During cold seasons, the rubber in normal tyres hardens while exposed to low temperatures below 7 degrees. Therefore, winter tyres are specially designed to withstand these low temperatures. These are made of pliable rubber to address this issue.

Additionally, these tyres have a unique tread design. This design assists in removing the mud, snow, ice, and debris stuck in the tyre. Lastly, the rubber content in these tyres is comparatively higher than that found in summer tyres.

How Do Winter Tyres Work?

The way winter tyres work or operate is related to friction, grip, tread design, and rubber content. The build of these tyres helps the vehicle move smoother and deliver optimum performance even on the roughest surfaces. 

They have active water and air passage designs to disperse water quicker and more efficiently. As a result, there is even more frictional force and traction. Winter tyres have tiny grooves for this function that absorb and hold snow, mud, and other particles to enhance grip. Therefore, there is a reduced risk of aquaplaning.

Advantages of Winter Tyres

In many countries, having winter tyres in your vehicle is compulsory. This is because of the various benefits it provides. Some of the most effective merits of these tyres are listed below. 

  1. These are the best options for providing utility on any road surface. It helps you get the smoothest driving experience on icy, wet, muddy, and dry roads. 

  2. Secondly, slippery roads during snowy seasons can offer you a forgettable driving experience, but you can enjoy a hassle-free driving experience through tiny grooves of winter tyres. 

  3. The tread design aids in spreading out or dispersing water faster and more effectively.

  4. These tyres benefit you monetarily as they wear down slower than summer tyres. Their heavy rubber content makes it an economical and durable option. 

Disadvantages of Having Winter Tyres

There is always a negative side to different goods and services. Similarly, winter tyres also have some disadvantages, listed hereunder. 

  • Summer tyres become a better option when the temperature increases and goes beyond 7 degrees as they offer shorter braking distances and improved grip in high temperatures. 

  • If you are rotating your winter tyres and summer tyres, it can be expensive. Many people suggest having an all-season tyre rather than going for winter tyres or summer tyres. 

These do not reap enough rewards in countries or areas with mild temperatures or rare chances of extremely low temperatures.

What is the Difference Between Summer and Winter Tyres?

The following table sums up the main differences between a summer and winter type. 

Basis Winter Tyres Summer Tyres
Tread pattern These tyres have many small grooves to absorb water and snow.  These are solid tyres with a comparatively lesser number of sipes and grooves. 
Main benefit It provides a better grip on snow, mud, and ice surfaces.  These are designed to enhance overall structural rigidity and better control while driving. 
Tread depth These have a maximum tread depth of 10mm. Their tread depth ranges around 7 and 8mm. 
Content They have soft, pliable rubber content to offer grip in low temperatures. They have hard rubber content to resist heat and warm temperatures. 
Stopping distances These have reduced stopping distances during low temperatures. They have greater stopping distances during winter. 
Cost These are cheaper than summer tyres. They fall on the slightly more expensive side compared with other tyre types. 

What Do the Symbols Mean on Winter Tyres?

Many manufacturers have unique markings on winter tyres to specify relevant information such as manufacturing date, load capacity, etc. The following points state the meaning of markings embossed on winter tyres. 

  1. When you see ‘M+S’ on tyres, it signifies that the tyre is designed specifically for snowy and muddy road surfaces. 

  2. Apart from the regular ‘M+S’ non-regulated markings, manufacturers also use 3PMSF markings, a more trustworthy marking in Europe. 

You can consider both markings acceptable before buying or selecting a tyre for your vehicle. You can identify these marks by mountain snowflake symbol, alpine icon, etc. 

 

So next time you plan a trip to the snowflaked mountains of Ladakh or a road trip to Auli, get your car or vehicle checked. Put on the winter tyres before packing your luggage with sunscreen and smart sunglasses.

FAQs about Winter Tyres