Winter tyre: Everything you need to know

Winter tyres are designed in such a way that they offer optimal performance in cold weather conditions. Their tread pattern has deep blocks which provide an excellent grip. A tread is the area of the tyre where the rubber meets the road. It provides a textured surface that ensures high mileage and excellent grip on the road surface. 

Compared to summer tyres, the winter tyres have a softer rubber compound. They have a greater amount of natural rubber in their tread compound. 

You can identify a winter tyre by looking at the snowflake symbol on its sidewall. Manufacturers like Goodyear Tyres, Continental Tyres, Pirelli Tyres etc have to abide by the qualitative standards and demarcations.

Cost of winter tyres

The cost of a winter tyre is expensive compared to normal tyres. Moreover, it is suggested to buy a new set of rims for the winter tyres. Steel rims are suitable for these types of tyres as they are resistant to rust. It may seem a lot to you at first, but as the time of replacement is doubled due to its increased durability, it is worth spending. 

What are the benefits of winter tyres?

The main benefit of a winter tyres is improved grip. Winter tyre has sipes on its tread blocks that are cuts made on the outer wall of the tyre. It helps to provide additional grip. The braking distance gets shorter during winters due to large tread blocks that allow it to create more contact area. The sidewall in winter tyres is made up of thick rubber running from the bead to the tread. This provides stability to the vehicle.

What are the drawbacks of winter tyres?

As the name says, winter tyres are suitable for cold weather conditions. These tyres are not fit for summer weather because of the soft rubber compound they have. The rubber compound of the winter tyre is made up of soft natural rubber that doesn’t get hard in cold conditions. The braking distance is increased and the handling is not as good. Moreover, the winter tyre wears out easily in warm weather conditions. These issues can be solved by changing the tyres when the weather conditions change. 

The alternatives for winter tyres

If you are concerned with the price point of the winter tyres then you should consider using a set of snow socks. Tyre socks are fabric covers that are used to wrap around the cheap tyres to increase the grip in snow and ice. These are not a complete replacement for winter tyres but you can use them occasionally. You should always have snow socks in your winter emergency kit.