Can you use winter tyres in summer?

13 July 2020

Typically, it is not recommended to use winter tyres in the summer. Winter tyres have a different design to summer tyres - they are maximised for optimum performance in the cold temperatures of winter. As both winter tyres and summer tyres are built specifically to tackle the elements of their specific season, using a tyre in the wrong season could lead to problems on the road.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUMMER AND WINTER TYRES?

When understanding the difference between summer and winter tyres, there are a series of factors to look out for. These include:

• Tread pattern - winter tyres have a deeper tread pattern than summer tyres, as they are designed to gather and compact snow. The pattern helps push the vehicle forwards and adds traction in snow - whereas summer tyres' tread pattern is much more simplistic. Made up of a simple block-shaped tread pattern, this allows maximum contact with the road surface.
• Rubber - the rubber compound in tyres is affected in temperatures below or above 7°C. This temperature point is the point where you would be advised to change your seasonal tyres over. Winter tyres have a high natural rubber content, which means in colder temperatures they stay soft and enable grip to the road. Whereas summer tyres have harder rubber compounds, meaning that they perform effectively in warmer temperatures and dry roads but harden at low temperatures.
• Structure - winter tyres' structure is designed with thousands of small grooves (sipes) in their tread blocks. These sipes expel water and prevent aquaplaning, providing superior grip in snow and ice. Summer tyres, on the other hand, have fewer sipes - instead, having specially designed tread bars to help minimise aquaplaning.

CAN I MIX WINTER AND SUMMER TYRES ON MY VEHICLE?

No - it is strongly recommended that you do not mix winter tyres with summer tyres. In some urgent circumstances, such as if you have a flat tyre, you may be tempted to swap out the flat tyre with a tyre from a different season. However, this is strongly advised against - as the sets of tyres then begin to work against each other and compromises the safety and performance of the vehicle. This can lead to a loss of control and an imbalance of the vehicle.

WHEN SHOULD YOU SWAP TO WINTER TYRES

There is no set date for when you should switch your tyres from summer to winter tyres - you decide when to switch based on intuition alone. However, as a rule of thumb, we suggest changing your tyres when the average rolling temperature drops below 7°C. You should change from winter to summer tyres before the summer months - we recommend changing when you have more dry days than wet/snowy days over a fortnight.

Find out more about when to put on winter tyres.

DO I NEED WINTER TYRES?

Unlike other countries, in the UK, there is no legal obligation to have winter tyres fitted on your vehicle, however many people opt to not have them fitted. We recommend those living in particularly rural areas consider specific seasonal tyres. With country roads that are unlikely to be gritted, harsh weather conditions can have a greater impact when you live in the country.

Now we've established the dangers of using winter tyres in summer, buy tyres online from Setyres today. Locate your nearest branch for your tyre fitting by one of our friendly team.