Winter Tyres

WINTER TYRES, HAVE YOU GOT YOURS?
With winter conditions seemingly getting worse in the UK year on year, more drivers
than ever are fitting winter tyres to their vehicles. Winter tyres are designed to
improve grip, stability and stopping distances during the cold periods of the year.
BOND recommends them to all road users and here’s why…

MORE THAN JUST SNOW TYRES…
A misconception is that winter tyres are to be used solely in snowy conditions
however this is untrue. Winter tyres are more effective than regular tyres when the
temperature drops below only 7c. This is due to a higher amount of natural rubber
and silica which remains more flexible when the temperature drops and hence provides
more grip than regular tyres, which effectively “freeze”.

AGGRESION
Winter tyres adopt a more “aggressive” pattern with deeper grooves, designed to
displace snow more effectively, allowing more of the tyre to be in contact with the
road. They also have smaller sipes in the tread which are designed to increase grip
in icy conditions. These differences in in the pattern aid traction for setting off
as well as braking.

THE FACTS
- Winter tyres outperform regular tyres below temperatures of just 7c
- From a speed of 20MPH, a winter tyre will stop you 11m sooner
- Winter tyres will be marked with a snowflake or a snow topped mountain
symbol
- It is recommended to fit a full set of winter tyres for maximum stability
and control
- They have sipes to improve grip on ice
- They have a more aggressive tread pattern to disperse snow
- When the weather clears , you don’t have to drive more slowly than
regular tyres
- You should change back to regular tyres around March time – when the
weather is warmer
TOP TIP
If you have the storage space, we suggest buying a spare set of steel rims fit your
winter tyres to – this means you can swap them easily when winter comes and will
save a lot of heart ache if you do happen to damage them in any way due to the snow.