Delticom: Winter tyres: Myth and reality
Delticom AG, Hanover – 14.10.2014: Nothing lasts as well, or as stubbornly as a prejudice. This also applies to getting the right winter tyres for your car. “Too noisy”, “too slow”, “increase fuel consumption”. Winter tyre moaners can be really creative in finding excuses why they shouldn’t move over to “winter specialists”. But what is actually the truth behind the most common winter tyre prejudices? Here’s a check list of 5 typical statements.
“Only use them in ice and snow”
Are winter tyres only of benefit on snowy or icy roads? Anyone who believes that is way off the mark. Due to their special rubber blend, cold weather tyres or winter tyres perform better than summer tyres in terms of grip even at temperatures of seven degrees Celsius and less. More grip means more safety and it also reduces braking distance.
“You don’t need them in the city”
It is common knowledge that the picturesque British winter of country landscapes covered in white powder like snow is not exactly the norm. This is why winter and cold weather tyres have an advantage over summer models, and not just when there is a good covering of snow. “Even if you’re only driving around town, you shouldn’t go without winter tyres. Just one day of snow fall can really reduce your mobility, particularly when you have to rely on your car”, explains Philip von Grolman from mytyres.co.uk.
“Winter tyres are really loud and increase fuel consumption”
Another widespread prejudice is that driving comfort suffers with winter tyres. Modern winter tyres are comfortable, and generally no louder than comparable summer tyres. Nor is there any loss of ride comfort compared to summer tyres. Motorists do not have to worry about increased fuel consumption; extra costs related to fuel consumption caused by tyres are a thing of the past.
“Winter tyres lead to high additional costs”
A widespread mistaken belief: some motorists calculate that changing from summer to winter tyres according to the seasons means having two sets of tyres, and so twice the costs. They’re forgetting one thing: The wear and tear of every kilometre you drive is spread over both sets of tyres, so that they wear down more slowly, and have to be changed less frequently. This is a clear advantage for the driver.
“Winter tyres are slow”
This one can also be put to bed very quickly. There is a wide variety of winter tyre models in many different designs which should also appeal to sporty drivers. You can tell the relevant maximum driving speed allowed by the index on the side of the tyre. “T” stands for a top speed of 190 kilometres per hour, “H” for 210 km/h, “V” for “240 km/h. However, it is strongly recommended that you adjust your speed according to the weather conditions. Motorists can get an overview of what models are suitable for their own car in online stores such as mytyres.co.uk in just a few clicks of a mouse.
Buying tyres online is becoming more and more popular
New tyres in the click of a mouse: The emergence of Ecommerce has seen organisations in the automotive industry change to meet the needs of the consumer. One quarter of all motorists surveyed have already bought tyres on the Internet, according to Delticom’s 2014 Report. More than 5,000 motorists in five European countries, including Great Britain, were surveyed as part of the study. British consumers in particular can see themselves buying their tyres online more and more in future on websites such as mytyres.co.uk.
Tyres are available at the online stores www.mytyres.co.uk and www.tirendo.co.uk, and Delticom online stores in other countries.
Online store for spare parts: www.123spareparts.co.uk
Other online stores in the UK:
For garages and dealers: www.yourtyres.co.uk
Motorcycle tyres: www.moto-tyres.co.uk
Tyre test site: www.tyretest.com
For more information on the company, please visit: www.delti.com