Winter tires in summer – a good idea?

In the spring it will be time to change the tires again. Are you considering leaving the winter tires on in the summer? In this blog post we explain why this is not a good idea.

Longer braking distance with winter tires in summer 

Winter tires have a different composition than summer tires. The tread of winter tires is designed for use on snow and they are less effective on dry surfaces. They therefore have a longer braking distance at higher temperatures. The higher the temperature and the higher the speed, the greater the difference. At a temperature of 35°C, the braking performance of winter tires is as much as 30% less.

Winter tires wear out faster in the summer

Another disadvantage of driving with winter tires in the summer is that they wear harder than summer tires at higher temperatures. In addition to the fact that you will have to buy new tires sooner, you also run the risk that your winter tires will not have enough tread in the winter. And this is precisely the moment when you do it profile you may desperately need.

Save fuel with summer tires

A winter tire has a greater rolling resistance than a summer tire. If you continue to drive with your winter tires in the summer, you will use more fuel. This costs you more money and is bad for the environment. 

Can you drive with winter tires in the summer?

In the Netherlands it is not prohibited to drive with winter tires on your car in the summer. However, this does not apply in all countries. For example, in Italy it is prohibited to drive with winter tires in the summer with a limited maximum speed. The fine for violating this law amounts to many hundreds of euros.

When to change winter tires

As soon as the clock is changed, it is wise to change tires. When winter comes, put winter tires on the car. In the spring, the start of summer time is the signal to remove the winter tires from the car.

Keep your car tires at the correct pressure

Even in the summer, it remains important to keep the car tires at the correct pressure. Keep in mind that the correct pressure for car tires is slightly different in summer than in winter. Air expands as the temperature rises. As a rule of thumb you can assume that for every 10 degrees Celsius the tire pressure increases by 0.1 bar. You can easily create a tire pressure table with this. This way you can be sure that you always have the right voltage, in summer and winter. Look here for our handy car compressor to keep car tires at the correct pressure.