Winter Tyre And Safety: A Simple Definition

Winter tyres are rubberized tyres that provide better grip on snow and ice or other winter weather conditions than standard rubber or summer Pirelli Tyres Reading.

The main difference between winter tyres and regular rubber is that winter tires utilise specialised tread patterns – designed for handling in dry, wet, hot, or cold road conditions – which can be identified by their use of minor grooves and sipes (tiny cuts through the tread blocks).

These specially cut channels allow small amounts of water and slush to escape above the tyre's footprint when pressed into an icy road surface. If this were not done, those same elements could freeze within the tyre footprint, causing loss of traction or, worse yet, a skid.

What Are Winter Tyres?

Winter tyres can also use unique compounds (which contain more natural rubber and carbon ) designed to remain flexible even at cold temperatures, which prevents the tyre from cracking as it contracts and expands due to temperature changes.

Winter tyres are created with less tread depth than their summer counterparts to keep them from being worn down quickly by the snow they will be forced to drive through during the winter months.

These whole steel-belted radial tires have three main areas that should stand out on all winter car tyres:

An M+S rating – indicating whether or not a tyre is meant for light, moderate, or severe snow conditions*

The type of "tread" pattern used – either studded or non-studded

The rubber compound used – synthetic or natural

Snow & Ice Are Your Tyres' Worst Enemy

Snow and ice aren't your tyres' only enemies in the winter, but they are definitely among the biggest. When fully threaded winter tires hit a patch of snow and ice on the road, their sipes and grooves will cause the tyre to bite into it, providing more grip than a typical summer tyre.

This enables your car to avoid hydroplaning (when standing water builds up between your car's tire and the road surface), skidding (when you start losing control of your vehicle's steering), or potentially even an accident.

Winter Tyre Types:

Studded Vs. Non-Studded Studded

Winter tyres use small studs or knobs that protrude from the tire tread to provide additional grip on snow and ice. Usually, these are made of tungsten carbide (the same material used for drill bits). Still, some winter tyres use bi-symmetrical (meaning they have studs in them in both directions) studs which can puncture a tyre's protective rubber when driven at high speeds.

Studded winter tyres work best when you need grip when travelling at low speeds in urban areas because they allow you to make sharp turns and stops without sliding off into the ditch.

Non-studded winter tyres instead feature a special pattern in their tread known as "scrapers," which resemble inverted pyramids designed to scrape away loose snow and ice when you're moving forward.

The naturally occurring "siping" works much like the tread pattern on summer tyres, except vertical grooves cut into it instead of horizontal grooves. This is because snow doesn't build up in these channels, which would otherwise prohibit the tyre's ability to grip at all.

Non-Studded Vs. Studded Winter Tyres

Winter Tire Chemical Composition Rubber materials used in winter car tires will be synthetic or natural rubber. Natural rubber is more elastic than synthetic rubber, allowing it to maintain its grip properties even when cold.

Winter tyres made with natural rubber tend to have a firmer grip while providing more comfort while driving in the winter months.

Lower-end car brands prefer these. Synthetic rubber, on the other hand, is more durable but tends to have a poorer grip when cold.

Which Is Best – Studded or Non-Studded?

This question isn't as easy to answer as you might think. Suppose you're primarily driving in cold weather climates with an average of 22 cm (8.7 inches) or more snow. In that case, studded tyres are preferred because they offer more incredible grip at slower speeds and prevent your car from getting stuck in deep snowdrifts.

Even on the hardest-packed snow and ice, they also provide better stopping power than non-studded winter tyres do.

However, if you live in a region that hardly gets any snow at all, studded winter tyres are entirely impractical. Non-studded winter tyres can still get your car moving, even when the road's covered in snow or ice, providing it is not piled up.

You can call a Mobile Tyre Fitting Reading for more assistance.