How not to get dusty with winter tyres?
The Road Traffic Regulations (RTR) state that summer tyres must be replaced with winter tyres between 1 and 10 November. Which slippery problems, which car "footwear" is most effective? Justinas Auryla, Technical Manager at Tauragė TAC, points out the most important things to consider when choosing tyres.
- Don't wait for the first snow. Summer tyres lose their performance at temperatures below 7 degrees. If it's wet, grip is reduced and braking distances are significantly longer.
- Winter is not the same as winter. The Baltic States are traditionally classified as part of Northern Europe, but in reality, traffic conditions in Scandinavia are very different from those in Lithuania. The snowfall here is two to six times less than in Finland. The average perennial January temperature in our region ranges between 4 degrees below zero and 4 degrees below zero, while in northern Scandinavia it is rarely below 10 degrees below zero. Obviously, the tasks that tyres have to cope with in winter tend to be completely different in different regions. That is to say, the German experience should be looked at more closely than the Swedish or Finnish experience when assessing the results of comparative tyre tests.
- The needs of motorists vary greatly, so when choosing new tyres, it is essential to consult qualified experts and analyse how much and what roads you drive, whether you have to travel to western or northern Europe, etc. This determines the choice between hard rubber compound tyres, soft rubber compound tyres or studded tyres.
- Studded tyres are the safest tyres in almost all winter conditions. However, they make more noise (around 3-5 decibels) and are slightly slipperier on dry asphalt. This type of tyre also results in higher fuel consumption (4-8%).
- Soft rubber compound tyres with multiple sipes make it safe to drive on snow-covered roads, but do a disservice on clean asphalt, where the lower overall tread strength causes the car to float under centrifugal forces and the braking distance increases. These tyres brake less well on wet roads.
- Winter tyres with a harder rubber compound are recommended for drivers living in large cities, mainly travelling on well-maintained motorways, or for regular trips to the southern countries of the old continent. Even in Poland studded tyres are banned.
- More expensive or cheaper? So-called premium tyres are more expensive but noticeably better. Independent tests have shown that when comparing premium tyres with cheaper tyres, the stopping distances usually differ by as much as a few metres, which can be fatal in winter.
- Minimum tread depth 4 mm. Although it is officially legal to run a car with tyres with a tread depth of 3 mm in winter, it should be borne in mind that this is a threshold beyond which it becomes dangerous to drive. You should start looking for new winter tyres when the tread has worn down to 5 mm and stop driving after 4 mm.