Winter tires: Why actually
Why are winter tires actually so important. Are they only useful in the snow, or also on a soaked Dutch road surface, or when it's about 5 degrees Celsius. A closer look at the differences between winter and summer tires.
Tires are an important part of your car or Motorhome. Because the only contact with the road is through this rubber. They must therefore offer maximum safety by having sufficient grip and being able to drain a lot of water. Winter tires offer much more grip than summer tires from 7 degrees Celsius and below. Not only on a layer of snow, but also on a wet road surface. And the latter occurs frequently in the Netherlands. In the latest winter tire test by the ANWB, you will find a good overview of which winter tires are and are not suitable.
Braking distance
Winter tires are made from a different rubber compound than summer tires. Furthermore, winter tires have a completely different tread with all the extra sipes. which ensure more grip. On a snowy road at -5 degrees Celsius at a speed of 50 km/h, the braking distance with winter tires is approximately 30m. If you drive on summer tires under these conditions, that distance is easily twice as long. Driving on snow with summer tires is therefore simply dangerous, even an adjusted driving style does nothing against this.
ANWB advice winter tires
The ANWB advises everyone who uses the car daily in winter or goes on a winter sports holiday to opt for winter tires. These offer better grip due to a softer rubber compound and an adapted tread. This is why winter tires perform so well in the winter season. In addition, winter tires are legally required in many countries and you will have problems with the insurance if an accident occurs.
All-season tires
In addition to winter and summer tires, there are also 4-season tires. This type of tire is a compromise between a summer and a winter tire. However, with clear advantages over a summer tire in winter, but also shortcomings compared to a winter tire in winter. Compared to winter tires, all-season tires show poorer performance in terms of traction and lateral grip in the snow. For example, winter tires will always perform better on a snowy slope than all-season tires. On sloping roads with snow, grip will quickly become insufficient, and starting from a standstill on a slope will become very difficult. All-season tires are therefore not suitable for driving up and down a snowy mountain pass. In a flat country like the Netherlands, the 4-season tire can still be used, especially on a second car that does not go on winter sports.
With all-season tires, you have to adjust your driving style in both summer and winter. By keeping more distance and adjusting your speed, you can compensate for the poorer performance of all-season tires. It is questionable whether you would want to do that. The safest combination remains winter tires in winter and summer tires in summer.
Read the ANWB winter tire test: www.anwb.nl
