Lifestyle

Can Winter Tires Be Driven in the Summer?

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Winter tires are designed for winter driving, but that doesn’t mean you can use them year-round. Running summer tires in wintertime may lead to diminished handling, decreased fuel economy and uneven tread wear.

Diminished Handling: When driving with winter tires, your vehicle won’t have the traction it needs to handle road hazards effectively. This could cause a loss of control and increase the likelihood of accidents.

Ruined Fuel Economy: With their lack of grip, these tires require more gas to keep your car moving. This could increase your bill for gas and lead to unnecessary emissions.

The Tread Pattern:

Winter tires feature narrower tread than their summer counterparts, which helps them grip the road better. This reduces hydroplaning and enhances traction on dry, snow-covered, or icy roads.

Furthermore, this reduces the surface area of the tire, improving its braking capability in wintertime.

Furthermore, a narrower tire allows more air into the tyre, increasing temperature at the tread. This can protect both rubber and the tyres themselves by helping prevent damage to their rubber properties.

A tire with a wide, shallow tread can trap water in its grooves, making it harder to gain traction on wet, icy or snow-covered roads.

Winter tires offer one major advantage over all-season or summer tires in unexpected situations – they make steering your vehicle much more challenging.

When a winter tire loses its grip, it can cause the driver to slide sideways and lose control of their vehicle. This is especially hazardous if the tire isn’t studded, providing added stability while driving.

An abnormal serrated tread pattern on rubber can produce noise and vibration while driving, leading to suspension issues as well as bearing wear.

The Tread Compound:

As all-season and summer tires have different compounds than winter tires, it’s common for them to wear out faster in warm weather due to their soft compounds not designed to withstand higher temperatures encountered during these times of year. The tread compound of winter tires may not be strong enough to withstand these higher temperatures, leading to uneven wear over time.

A winter tire’s softer tread compound may generate an excessive amount of heat, leading to friction buildup in the tyres and premature wear and tear. As a result, winter tires require replacement more frequently and unevenly than other tires due to uneven wear patterns.

Even if your tires are still new, it is wise to get them replaced before the winter season begins. If unsure which kind of tire best meets your needs, contact Firestone Complete Auto Care near you and speak with a professional who can assist in finding the correct tires for you.

As a general guideline, it’s best to switch out your winter tires before any significant cold weather arrives in the fall. Not only will this save you money in the long run, but it will ensure your tyres are in optimal condition when winter arrives.