Do You Need Winter Tires?

The first choice to make is whether or not your local climate demands installing specialist winter tires for the colder months. While it may seem a prudent step to take for everyone, winter tires are actually stiffer and provide less grip than regular ones until the temperature starts to reach the freezing point. In general, if winter road temperatures are reliably 0°C or below, and are unlikely to reach 7°C at any point, winter tires will provide more traction than regular or all-season designs.

Temperatures aside, winter tires are also designed with deeper treads set out in a different pattern so that they cope more easily with snow and ice. If you can expect even a light snow covering through most of the winter months, winter tires are essential.

Checking Tire Quality

Whichever kind of tire you have fitted, they should be in excellent condition for winter. Even in temperate areas, there likely will be more rain and occasional ice, which means grip will be reduced. And, of course, if your area is likely to see substantial snow, it’s even more important that your tires perform at their peak. Here’s what to look for:

1) Tread Depth

Regular tires should have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm, and for winter tires, this rises to 3.5mm in most jurisdictions. However, it’s sensible to replace tires before they reach these legal minimums, as wear and tear over winter could see the treads become dangerously shallow before spring arrives.

2) Uneven Wear

It’s also important that the treads are all at roughly the same depth, with even wear across the surfaces of all four tires. Even small differences in tread depth can make handling more unreliable, and this will worsen when grip is already difficult in icy conditions.

3) Bald Spots

While uneven wear can cause problems, bald spots will spell disaster as they provide wildly inconsistent traction under braking. Any bald spots, however small, should mean a tire replacement as soon as possible — and certainly before the first ice arrives.

4) Bulges, Cracks, or Blisters

Any signs of physical damage in the tire’s compound should be checked out by a professional. Look for cracks in the rubber, especially on the sides, and any unusual bulges or blisters near the tires’ rims. Even small faults can quickly develop into larger problems, with catastrophic blowouts a real risk.

5) Tire Pressure

Lastly, cold winter temperatures will make the air inside the tires contract, and this can easily push them below their recommended pressure rating. During the winter months, check all the tires’ pressures every two weeks or so and inflate them as necessary. If you need to reinflate too often, there’s likely a fault in either the tire compound or the valve, so arranging an inspection is sensible to catch any problem before it gets more serious.

But even if there are no issues, remember to reduce the pressure again as spring nears and the warming air starts to expand; overinflated tires can be just as dangerous as under-pressurized ones.

Book a Tire Inspection Today

Don’t get caught out with substandard tires when the first snow of the season falls. To ensure that your tires are up to the demands of even the toughest winter, please book a service appointment by clicking the button below.