FAQ

Is there a big difference between winter and regular tyres?

Driving your car in different temperatures and environments can have a massive impact on your ability drive and so when of the best methods of handling this is by selecting a tyre that can handle the conditions. There are a number of important factors to take into consideration when selecting the perfect regular and winter tyre, with the main difference between the two is their tread depth, because where on a winter tyre you would expect between 8 and 9mm, on a regular tyre it would be more like 7 and 8mm – only a small difference, but it has a massive effect.

Winter tyres have wider and deeper grooves too, which is essentially used to help form a larger channel for snow and water to travel through, meaning that it maintains grip on the road. More importantly, the rubber used to make winter tyres contains a larger percentage of natural rubber and silica in the compound, which doesn't harden as much as synthetic rubber in cold weather, which also improves the tyre’s grip.

What are the key benefits?

There are several benefits that both winter and regular tyres have that make them perfect for their individual environments, with some common examples of which being:

Winter

·         Better grip – a winter tyre offers better grip in the snowy conditions thanks to its wider depth and special compound, offering more grip, better braking, traction and handling

·         Shorter breaking distance – the poor conditions can have an adverse effect on your handling, but with a winter tyre you will have a higher level of grip which means your breaking distance is reduced – in the event of an accident this shorter breaking distance can save lives and help you to avoid a serious impact

·         Enhanced performance – the technology in a winter tyre means it can perform better when the temperature drops below 7° Celsius, meaning that it is a perfect design for the cold conditions

Regular

·         Faster speeds – their design allows for them to have a better grip on the road and can withstand a lot more friction – meaning that they are better when performing at high-speeds 

·         Better grip – summer tyres also come with special tread that is designed to get better traction on rain-soaked roads, with the tread pattern designed to be able to channel the water up and away from the car

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Your tyre size guide

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, look at the diagram below:

Your tyre size is on the sidewall of the tyre, the sidewall of the tyre is the part that you can see when you look at your tyre on your vehicle.

On the sidewall you will see a series of numbers, these numbers are the actual size of your tyre.

If you look at the picture below we have highlighted the Width, Profile, Rim Size, Load Rating & Speed Rating.

A Tyre width

the width of the tyre, measured in millimetres.

B Tyre profile

The height of a tyre sidewall as a precentage of the width.

C Tyre size

The diametre of the wheel's inner rim, measured in inches.

D Speed rating

Indicates the maximum speed for the tyre.

Print Tyre Guide