Snowfall, slush appearing when temperatures rise, and low, dazzling sunlight are among the many factors that affect road safety during the winter.
Icy road surfaces often reduce the grip of our vehicles’ wheels, which, combined with excessive speed, can lead to dangerous situations. Certainly, the safety of all road users—and consequently our health and lives—is in our hands.
Winter conditions require not only greater imagination and reflexes on the road, but also special preparation of our vehicle for this period.
How do you prepare your car for winter?
One of the standard preparations for lower temperatures is changing from summer tires to winter tires. This is all so that we can feel safe in the vehicle.
When should you consider changing tires?
When the average daily temperature falls below 7 degrees Celsius, everyone should seriously consider changing to winter tires. Winter and summer tires differ in the materials from which they are made. At temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius, a winter tire does not harden and remains flexible, allowing it to adhere better to the road surface. This is due to its high silica content.
“Winter tires” are made from a special rubber compound that performs well even in exceptionally frosty weather. Let us remember that a soft tire provides high grip and traction; a hardened tire provides nothing—apart from an uncontrolled skid.
How do summer tires differ from “winter tires”?
Summer and winter tires differ not only in the composition of their compounds, but also in their tread patterns. Winter tires have wider central grooves and several times more transverse tread cuts, known as sipes.
This different design is intended to remove water and slush more quickly and effectively, while providing better grip on snow. Winter tires have a more heavily grooved tread than summer tires.
There is no denying that winter tires improve safety when driving in winter conditions. This is particularly evident in a shorter braking distance. The special tread pattern has a significant effect on steering and even braking, but let us remember that if the tread is heavily worn, the tire will not grip a snow- or ice-covered surface properly.
What should you always remember?
Let us remember that it is not the vehicle that skids and loses control, but the person driving it.