What are Winter Tires and Why You Should Own Them
When people hear the name “winter tires” a lot of them believe it refers to snow tires or tires that are made to beat snowy terrains. But in reality, they simply refer to tires that can survive in the cold weather, with or without snow. This means that these tires are appropriate for use when driving through rain, ice, snow, or dry and cold roads. Their build is such that their soft compounds make it easier to drive on the road during chilly seasons, which is a lot more than the tires people use during summer.
In this blog, we’ll discuss winter tires, their manufacturing design, their advantages, and their disadvantages.
Difference Between Winter and Regular Tires
Winter tires are softer than regular tires, mainly due to their high natural rubber components. The interchange between the rubber and road changes with a rise in temperature, affecting the tire’s grip. So the biggest difference between regular tires and these tires is that the former harden when the temperature is below 7° C, while the latter develop more flexibility as the temperature drops below 7° C.
When Should You Install Winter Tires?
Following are some conditions where it becomes necessary for you to install winter tires to your vehicle:
- You live in a place where they are required to be used by law.
- Your locality’s temperature is prone to falling below 7°.
- You live remotely in an area with frequent snow and risk being cut off due to it.
- Your tires don’t function properly during the cold weather.
Advantages of Winter Tires
Flexible
The biggest benefit of such tires is that they provide excellent flexibility on cold and numb roads, allowing a lot more grip on snowy as well as rainy terrains without you losing control of the vehicle.
Provide Traction
While a lot of people believe four-wheelers are necessary to hold off snow, winter tires are adequate to do this job by themselves. Their tread design allows them to push snow outward, helping themselves to avoid snow buildup.
Better Grip on Steering
The flexible and soft qualities of these tires create a better vehicle driving grip, preventing the tires from sliding over on slippery surfaces and making it easier for you to control steering and braking.
Reduces Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning occurs when excess water on the road causes your tires to lose contact with the road. Such tires can help you avoid doing that because of their grip on the path you’re driving through.
Disadvantages of Winter Tires
- Although winter tires are good to use in temperatures below 7° C, the same can’t be said about them in higher temperatures. Hence, regular tires are a much better option during the summers.
- Investing in a set of regular and winter tires can be quite costly, and their maintenance even more so. Therefore, you need to be mindful of what exactly you need and how much you need to invest in these tires.