How do your tyres handle wintry conditions?

During the winter months, motorists can expect varied weather conditions, especially in the UK, where unpredictable weather is the norm. Fortunately, modern tyres are designed to give you the best advantage in these conditions, and Davanti have developed a series of tyres tested in the extremes, such as where Davanti tests our winter and all-season tyres in the Ivalo facility 300km inside the Arctic Circle, to keep you safe on the road.

How are tyres designed to handle the winter?

Winter and all-season tyres, unlike summer tyres, are designed in a way that allows them to continue performing in the colder months. While summer tyres will harden when the temperatures are below 7°C, winter and all-season tyres use a unique compound which softens to maintain friction and grip.

Control on the ice and snow

The ice can affect your tyres in several ways. Not only are your tyres facing colder temperatures, which change how the compound reacts, but the ice introduces reduced traction, resulting in less friction, a greater chance of sliding, and an increased stopping distance.

Winter and all-season tyres take a few different approaches to handling both ice and snow. When it comes to ice, the softer compound allows the tyre to spread out across the flat surface, improving control and grip, and the jagged sipes in the tread of the tyre bite into the ice itself.

For snow, winter tyres employ ‘snow-on-snow’ friction. The tyre tread is designed to capture and compact snow from the ground, utilising this trapped snow for grip. As the pressure of the spin melts some of this snow, the tyre spins efficiently, dispersing the water, clearing the way for fresh snow to compact and maintain traction.

This effectiveness is the result of intelligently formulated compounds, specialised tread designs, and rigorous testing in extreme conditions, such as those found near the Arctic Circle in Finland.

Davanti’s winter range Wintoura provides confidence in extreme winter conditions, such as snow or ice. Especially in rural areas, when the roads may not be gritted as reliably as in more built-up areas. For year-round confidence, we have our Alltoura and Vantoura ranges, both of which offer all year-round confidence.

Wet weather control

While rain isn’t usually what we think about when we worry about the hazards of winter, in temperate climates such as the UK, it can be a mainstay throughout Autumn to Spring.

During heavy rain, a build-up of water can overwhelm your tyres’ ability to disperse the water, causing aquaplaning, which makes the surface of the road act like you are driving across a piece of ice. Winter tyres like our Wintoura range, and all-season tyres like Alltoura and Vantoura are intelligently designed to mitigate this hazard.

The channels cut into your tread aren’t only for show; they allow a passageway for water to flow through and disperse out, effectively being tossed away from your tyre, quickly and efficiently, helping to avoid the risk of aquaplaning and allowing you to maintain contact with the road.

All-season tyres tend to be superior in wet conditions when comparing them to winter tyres, so this is an important consideration when looking at new tyres for your vehicle. It’s always important to purchase based on your environment.

Do I have winter tyres or all-season tyres?

If you are uncertain about the type of tyre you have on your vehicle, the easiest way to check is to look for the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, identified as a mountain range with a snowflake inside. This marker is usually paired up next to an M+S marking.

For identifying all-season tyres, look for text labels on the tyre such as all-season, A/S or all-weather.

Given the unpredictable nature of the winter, choosing the right tyre is crucial for road safety. Fortunately, Davanti’s range of all-season and winter tyres has you covered. Both tyres have their benefits, which you can learn about more here, but they will keep you safe through a lot of the most hazardous conditions of winter.

For more information about Davanti’s three-peak mountain snowflake range, visit our product page or contact your local Davanti dealer.