The spring equinox – the midway point between the winter solstice and the longest day in high summer – is about the right time to take your old winter tyres off your car and to fit summer ones instead. Although you can drive summer tyres in winter and winter tyres in summer, the whole point about them is that they are designed to offer optimal performance in different driving conditions. Winter tyres, with additional knobbly sections of rubber and tougher compounds, are ideal in snow and ice, especially when the temperature drops to -7°C, or further. However, driving on them when there is no chance of even ground frost first thing in the morning no longer makes much sense.
Instead, it is better to remove your winter tyres and set them aside for late November or early December next year unless you happen to live in mountainous terrain when you might want them fitted that bit sooner. During the better weather, summer tyres will be preferable not simply because they save your winter tyres from needless wear, however. They will also give you a rubber compound that is better for both dry and wet road surfaces. Essentially, summer tyres are designed to cut through water to give you traction where it counts, on the tarmac. Winter tyres do this, as well, of course, just not as effectively as you can expect from a good set of summer tyres.
This summer, pamper your car with new tyres from Dartford Tyres so that you can obtain optimal performance when cornering and braking whether you are on hot tarmac that has been baked by the sun all day or are driving through a rain shower. The basic principle you should follow when choosing summer tyres is to go for the best brand you can afford. Although budget tyres will often function perfectly well, they will not always last as long as premium ones. This means you tend to end up spending more over time despite the initial saving. There are usually promotional offers for certain tyre brands so you won’t have to break the balance when choosing a set of suitable premium tyres for your summer road trips and beyond!
Please remember that good summer tyres are not just about the driving experience. Although they can make driving more fun because they offer better handling, the main thing is they make motoring on British roads that much safer. In the end, what could be more important than that?
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