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Winter Car Tyres
Winter Car Tyres Bridgend
Even though we do not get the volume of snow that is seen elsewhere in Europe, the UK’s roads can still become very dangerous in winter months. The temperature between October and March often falls below seven degrees Celsius for extended periods. At this temperature the rubber compound in normal tyres begins to harden, resulting in a reduced ability to grip to the road surface. In contrast, winter tyres are designed with special compounds and grip patterns to ensure safe roadholding whenever it is cold, not solely in snow and ice. They may often be called ‘snow tyres’ but obviously ‘winter tyres’ is therefore a much better description.
Having the right tyres fitted to your vehicle will provide you with increased performance in terms of traction control and handling, significantly reducing the risk of an accident when driving in winter conditions.
Red Dragon Tyres recommend changing all four tyres to winter tyres; a car fitted with just two can actually be more dangerous as it becomes unbalanced, resulting in unsafe handling. This recommendation is supported by the national TyreSafe scheme and leading tyre manufacturers including Continental, Michelin and Pirelli.
How to find your tyre size
Before you order a set of tyres, it’s a good idea to check the exact type your car is designed to run. All the information you need is marked on the tyre’s sidewall as numbers and letters, separated by forward slashes. For example, a common marking is 205/55 R15 91V.
- Width – The first three digits (205) represent the width of the tyre in millimetres.
- Profile – The fourth and fifth digits (55) show the sidewall height as a percentage of the tyre width. It is also known as the aspect ratio.
- Rim size – The letter R followed by numbers (R15) is the tyre’s inner rim diameter in inches.
- Load index – The next two numbers (91) are a numerical code that describes the maximum weight the tyre can take.
- Speed rating – This letter (V) is part of an alphabetic code that notes the top speed the tyre can handle over a long period of time.
IMPORTANT: Your vehicle manufacturer should note the correct tyre code for your vehicle in your manual and using tyres with lower performance than required can void your insurance.