Conti urges motorists to switch to summer tyres

Cool temperatures heretofore could give car drivers the impression that they can drive with winter tyres all year round, but that is not the case, according to Continental.

This is a mistake that gives Dr. Andreas Topp, Head of Winter Tire Development at Continental, cause for concern: “At warmer times of the year, winter tyres have a longer braking distance than summer tyres, and handling precision reduces considerably,” he warns.

After all, driving tests at summer temperatures have shown that a car with winter tyres, with the brakes applied fully from 100 km/h, took around 6 metres longer to come to a standstill than a car with summer ttyres.

“This represents more than the length of a car,” says Topp, referring to the residual speed of 37 km/h that the vehicle fitted with winter tyres still displays in an emergency, when the car with summer tyres has already stopped. The precise handling – which is important for avoiding accidents at higher speeds – also reduces considerably with winter tyres in summertime.