Can you use winter tyres in summer?
Friday 5th June 2020
Can I use winter tyres in summer?
It is not recommended to use winter tyres in the summer. This is due to the way winter tyres are designed compared to summer tyres – both are specifically designed in order to tackle the elements of their particular season, and offer optimal performance. Winter tyres have a deeper tread pattern which is designed to gather and compact snow – meaning they have a better grip in order to tackle cold, icy and snowy road surfaces.
This means that, if you were to use a winter tyre in summer, this level of grip wouldn’t be appropriate for the temperature, road surfaces and weather conditions that the season provides. Although having good grip is often deemed as a positive attribute of a tyre, in this instance, using winter tyres in summer would mean the tyres likely wouldn’t be capable of providing the quick responsiveness that you’d expect from summer driving.
What’s the difference between summer and winter tyres?
There are a series of elements to look out for when telling the difference between summer and winter tyres. These include:
- Rubber
- Structure
- Tread pattern
Find out more information on the difference between summer and winter tyres from our dedicated guide.
Can I have different tyres on my vehicle?
It is strongly recommended that you do not mix summer tyres with winter tyres. In some instances, such as if you’re changing a tyre, you may be inclined to swap out the flat tyre with a tyre designed for a different season – which is different to the tyres already on your vehicle. This is strongly advised against – as the tyres would begin to work against each other, and counteract the specifically designed features for each season. This can lead to lack of control due to an imbalance of the vehicle – meaning that mixing summer and winter tyres can be very dangerous. Learn more about mixing tyres on your vehicle today from our detailed guide.
Now you’ve established whether you can use winter tyres in summer, buy tyres online from Formula One Autocentres today to prepare for the upcoming season. Locate your nearest centre for your tyres to be fitted by one of our experts.
