Winter tyres: do you need them?

Winter tyres eh? Snow has blanketed this country for perhaps four or five weeks in the last four or five years and suddenly everyone seems to be advocating specialist rubber wear for your car.

There's no doubt that driving in snow, ice and low temperatures is potentially more difficult and dangerous than taking to the roads on a balmy summers' day but are tyres specially designed for the task really worth it?

Winter tyres: they do it in Europe

Across the continent, in places where the entire road network isn't hamstrung at a stroke by a sprinkling of snow, winter tyres are in widespread use. In some areas they're even compulsory.

Our neighbours think nothing of switching to winter tyres as the days grow shorter. Many garages even offer storage facilities for the tyres and wheels customers aren't using. By contrast, there's a tendency in the UK to see cold weather rubber as another opportunity for our cars to syphon much needed cash out of our bank accounts.

Winter tyres aren't as expensive as you think

Motorists in remote or elevated areas, where snowfall is more likely and cars are an essential lifeline, are much more inclined to invest in specialist tyres and 4x4 vehicles to make the most of them. Despite this, winter tyres only account for around 0.5% of total UK tyre sales.

We aren't buying them in big numbers but the cost of winter tyres may not be the barrier we think it is. Tyres are expensive things but the difference between the cost of winter tyres and standard ones isn't that great. This is particularly true if you're comparing the price of the wide, low-profile tyres that are increasingly being fitted to modern cars with the cost of the skinnier winter tyres.

A spare set of steel wheels which the winter tyres can be fitted to, allowing you to swap them over at home, can be picked up cheaply. You could use one of the winter tyre wheels as your spare during the summer and if tyre wear is a concern, remember that while you're on your winter tyres, your summer ones are taking a break.

Do winter tyres work?

When you think about it, there are plenty of days from autumn through to spring when temperatures dip to that level. If you drive in the early morning or late evening through that part of the year, it will be cold enough for winter tyres on a regular basis.

It's a combination of the specially formulated rubber compounds and the specially designed tread patterns that give winter tyres their edge in bad weather. The rubber stays softer in low temperatures while the tread pattern is created to clear water and grip slippery surfaces more efficiently.

The design enhancements manifest themselves in improved traction when it's slippery and a more secure feel when cornering. Braking distances on wet or icy roads can also be reduced.

Recent tests by Tyre Safe showed that a car on winter tyres stopped 11m sooner than one on ordinary rubber when braking from 20mph on an icy road. Braking from 30mph on snow, the difference was 8m.

One trade-off for the improved grip winter tyres can give your car in winter is a slight reduction in braking performance in good weather but it's dramatically outweighed by the stopping benefits gained in the cold or wet. It's also possible that the softer rubber compound will wear more quickly in higher temperatures but wear rates actually improve a little in the cold.

Winter tyres: there's a lot of choice

The fitting of winter tyres isn't an instant fix for the problems we all face when driving on snow or ice. As motorists, it's our responsibility to be aware of the conditions and adjust the way we drive accordingly.

Reducing speed and leaving bigger gaps to the car in front are just as important but a set of winter tyres could be a major help in getting you to your destination safely this winter.