MANY SME small fleet operators in the UK ignore the real advantages of switching to winter tyres believing them a waste of money.
Well here are the five things you probably weren’t aware about fitting winter tyres:
1. They only work in ice and snow
Nothing could be further from the truth because their special rubber blend give these tyres have better grip than summer ones at temperatures of 7C and less.
2. Winter tyres are redundant in cities
Another misconception because even the urban environment can suffer occasional snow and ice and it only takes a split second to lose control and crash.
3. The different tread on winter tyres cause noise and use more fuel
That special tread pattern and rubber compound produce the opposite results in cold weather using less fuel and performing quieter and more comfortably than summer tyres in the same conditions.
4. Buying winter tyres will only add to your motoring costs
Far from it because the wear and tear of every mile you drive is spread over both your sets of tyres so that they wear down more slowly, have to be changed less frequently and save you money in the long run.
5. Winter tyres slow the vehicle’s performance
There are plenty of cold weather makes and designs to appeal to the sports driver. You can tell the relevant maximum driving speed allowed by the index on the side of the tyre. “T” stands for a top speed of 120mph “H” for 130mph and “V” for 150mph.