Is it worth spending the £500 or so it costs to fit your car with a set of winter tyres? If you had a crash after losing control during last year’s protracted cold spell you might decide it was money well spent.
After years of mild winters, British motorists have had to get used to driving in snowy and icy conditions. And as a result, motoring experts now advise drivers to consider switching to winter tyres.
Contrary to popular belief, the tyres are not studded; they have a tread pattern designed to cope with slush and cold rain, as well as snow and ice, and give much more grip and control in the cold. They are also safer than a standard tyre in dry conditions below 7C, because the tread compound heats up at lower rolling temperatures to create grip in low temperatures.
Residents in colder parts of Europe have long kept a spare set of winter tyres, which they put on their car at the first sign that temperatures are dropping. Come the spring they switch back. Ten European countries have already introduced winter tyre legislation and/or a government public awareness campaign.
In a recent test of Bridgestone’s winter tyre against its ultra-high performance summer tyre, stopping distances in icy conditions varied enormously. At 10mph the winter tyre stopped in 6.4 metres while the summer tyre needed more than twice the distance to stop (14 metres). Imagine the difference if you start braking at 30mph.
Despite these benefits, tyre manufacturer Dunlop estimates that the winter tyre market only accounts for just 2% of overall British tyre sales, and a recent survey showed that just 5% of motorists were planning to use them this year.
However, that could be about to change. Last winter’s cold spell led most tyre retailers to sell out of specialist winter tyres. They became impossible to find and, for that reason, if you live in an area with a fair expectation of snow this winter now is the time to look for a set.
Tyre retailers are getting the message out that they have them in stock; car manufacturers are also getting in on the act. Toyota has launched a trial winter weather tyre programme out of two dealerships, and BMW dealers are offering packages of winter tyres pre-fitted to wheels from about £775 a set. Audi laos has a promotion on and many other dealers, including Volvo, have started to offer similar packages.
The tyres themselves cost about £100 for a standard family car, more for an executive model. You will probably need a set of steel wheel hubs on which to mount them, and it costs to switch them – so it doesn’t come cheap. You also need to tell your insurer as they count as a modification to your car.
However, compare that to the cost of even a minor accident – in terms of the damage and increased insurance premiums – and it could be money well spent. Winter tyres could even save your life, but so could simply staying at home when the gritters hit roads. So will you be paying to change your tyres this winter?