WHEN SHOULD YOU REPLACE WINTER TYRES WITH SUMMER TYRES?

When it gets colder again around autumn and the first winter showers spread across the country, motorists queue en masse to have winter tyres fitted. But once winter is over, drivers are often less in a hurry to switch back to summer tyres. Read here when you really need to replace winter tyres for summer tyres.

When summer tyres?

The biggest differences between a summer tyre and a winter tyre are the profile and the composition of the rubber. The latter determines the flexibility of the tyre. This is important because a tyre must deform correctly so that the tread makes optimal contact with the road surface. In this way, the qualities of the band are used to the maximum. This results in more grip, a shorter braking distance, maximum water drainage and the correct rolling resistance. The latter has a major influence on the wear and the rolling noise of the tyre, as well as the energy consumption of the car.

Winter tyres in summer

 
The outside temperature and the warming up of the tyre while driving have an effect on the flexibility of the rubber. If it is too cold, a traditional summer tyre will deform less well than intended, which will adversely affect the properties of the summer tyre. So not conducive to road safety, of course. The other way around, exactly the same. If it is too hot, the performance of a traditional winter tyre will deteriorate significantly. In addition, a winter tyre will wear out significantly faster at high temperatures. And because of the many small sipes in the tyre profile of a winter tyre, even whole pieces can crumble at the same time.

READ NOW: WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER COMBINE SUMMER TYRES AND WINTER TYRES

When winter tyres?

When you have to replace winter tyres for summer tyres and vice versa, it has to do with the temperature. A temperature of 7 degrees Celsius is taken as a limit value in the development of summer and winter tyres. If the temperature is structurally above 7 degrees, summer tyres are the best option. Winter tyres are preferred at temperatures below 7 degrees. Driving on winter tyres in summer is just as bad an idea as driving on worn summer tyres in winter. So just don't.

‘’Tip: use the introduction of summer and winter time as a reminder to change your tyres. Then you are almost always in the right place. Are you still going on winter sports by car after the introduction of summer time (last weekend in March)? Then take into account the (local) obligation of winter tyres in various European countries.’’

All-season tyre

Would you rather not change at all? Then choose the Vredestein Comtrac 2 All Season, Quatrac 5 or Quatrac Pro all-season tyre, which perfectly combines the properties of a summer and winter tyre. The Vredestein Quatrac Pro, the first high-quality all-season tyre for extremely demanding applications, also came second best in the large-scale all-season tyre test by the renowned German magazine Auto Bild. Vredestein's all-season tyres are officially certified as a winter tyre, so they are suitable for areas where a winter tyre obligation applies.