Diary of a DMS Guy

Winter is coming!

According to the Met Office, the temperature is going to plummet in the coming days and some of the UK will see snow!

For me, this always starts the question of Winter Tyres.   Do we need them?   and if so,  when to put them on !  

I belong to a few motoring groups online, my main one being the Tesla Owners UK Group, and the discussion on this subject rages on for several weeks through the winter period.     The southern view is that Winter Tyres are a waste of time, and having grown up in London I can agree that it appears that way!

For me, living at 1,100ft in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, Winter Tyres are an absolute requirement - if there is a snowflake in the valley below us, then we generally have 4" of snow!      I've used winters for several years and they are brilliant - even when it's not snowing!  

The difference with winter tyres isn't just in the tread pattern - the tyres have tread which is designed to grip onto clumps of snow which increases grip in snowy conditions (and it works!!)  - but also in the rubber compounds being used.  The rubber in a winter tyre gets grippier as the temperature reduces  - even on a dry road - whereas summer tyre rubber becomes brittle and less grippy as the temperature drops.   For most tyres the cross-over point is about 7C.

I tend to fit my tyres when the temperature during my normal commute window (7am and 5pm) is around the 7C point - ie now!

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All seasons ? 

The world of tyres gets even more confusing when it comes to all-season tyres.  For me, they would seem to be the worst of both worlds - not as good as a summer tyre in summer, and equally not as good as a winter tyre in winter!     Many claim they are cheaper than having separate summer/winter tyres, but in reality a summer tyre will last more years (as they are only on the car half of the year) so whilst the year 1 cost (buying the separate winter tyre) is higher the lifetime cost is about the same!

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With the invention of Tyre hotels storage isn't a problem either.

For a dealer, winter tyres are a great upsell opportunity - alongside the winter check...     There are plenty of videos which can be shared with customers on the difference in stopping distances between summer and winter tyres in wintery conditions (it's actually scary!!)