Winter tyres vital for 80 per cent of winter days, despite being slammed as 'expensive'

Related Tags: Tyres, Road Safety, Winter Checks, Car Maintenace

Winter tyres vital for 80 per cent of winter days, despite being slammed as 'expensive'

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Published: 12 November 2012

A LADY walked along the cobbled streets of Faversham's town centre, with her hair wind-swept and her floral umbrella inside out, her body repeatedly sprayed with water as car after car zoomed by through gigantic puddles, one spinning partially onto the pavement.

The scene was chaotic but this is what I witnessed in January this year, when storms lashed a small Kentish market town with rain and sleet during rush hour - with roads already covered in thin ice. It appeared that most drivers were struggling to keep full control of their cars, with a lack of grip proving a major problem.

So it comes as little surprise that this autumn, drivers are being urged more than ever before to fit winter tyres to their cars to help prevent avoidable accidents.

"The roads are particularly busy during the rush hour period so being able to rely on your tyres for safe motoring is essential," said Stuart Jackman, chairman of prominent tyre safety organisation TyreSafe. "Fitting winter tyres is definitely the sensible option when the temperature struggles to creep above seven degrees celsius, as is often the case in the early morning and evening at that time of year."

However, not everyone agrees that it is an absolute necessity. "It's quite an expense to swap your tyres over, from a practical point of view," argued Kevin Clinton, Head of Road Safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. When asked if he felt more accidents could be prevented if a greater number of motorists fitted their cars with winter tyres, he said: "I'm not sure that there is going to be a massive increase in popularity because of the number of people who are not able to invest in expensive winter accessories even if they wanted to."

Mr Clinton explained that instead, people should check their cars, especially their tyres 'at the start of winter, keep checking them regularly and not wait until they're at the minimum tread length before they swap tyres'. He added: "Ideally, drivers should swap tyres once they get to 3mm tread length."

Tests by the British Tyre Manufacturers' Association - whose members include Bridgestone, Continental, Cooper, Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin and Formula One supplier Pirelli, found that a car braking at 60mph on a wet road in temperatures of five degrees Celsius stopped five metres shorter when fitted with winter tyres.

That is the equivalent of one car length and 'could prove the difference' between hitting a pedestrian or another vehicle and avoiding such an accident, explained brakes designer Garry Chiles - whose latest work can be seen on the Range Rover Evoque - when asked about the link between tyres and brakes.

"With the clocks having just gone back," TyreSafe's Mr Jackman explained, "it's a timely reminder that winter is well and truly on its way, and with it, the need for extra care and attention on the road.

"The cold and damp conditions mean that roads can easily become slippery and dangerous so it's essential that your tyres are in the best possible state to cope with this. Adequate tread depth is particularly important during the winter as it is essential for safety in the wet."

October saw hundreds of garages and tyre retailers across Britain offering free tyre safety checks, as part of tyre safety month. But as many customers' pockets are already squeezed, Mr Jackman is urging more garages to spread the word to drivers to check the tread of their car tyres regularly by simply using a 20 pence coin and checking for any cuts, cracks or bulges in the rubber - simple checks that could save lives, he said.

If you have been affected by this story, perhaps having used winter tyres or been caught with worn tyres, we would like to hear your view.