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When should I fit and then remove winter tyres? Should I keep them on even in a mild winter?

What's the drill with winter tyres? Do I put them on the car on the first of October, and then take them off at the end of March? Supposing we have a very mild winter? Do I keep them on regardless? I was surprised at how expensive they are; £73 each for the best makes, and that's for a little Ford Fiesta.

Asked on 11 July 2011 by LD, Surrey

Answered by Honest John
I intend to put them on at the end of October and leave them on until the end of March. I bought a separate set of wheels for them. They work best at below eight degrees centigrade. They are not suitable for high summer temperatures that can actually reach 60 degrees plus on the road surface. You can buy compromise ‘all-weather’ tyres that you can leave on all year round, such as Bridgestone A01s. They're not as good as full winters like Michelin Alpins or Pirelli Sotto Zeros in snow and in very low temperatures, but a lot better than summer tyres.

Cold-snap snow-how: Advice on coping with the freezing weather, including videos, facts and winter driving advice.

Honest John's Guide To Winter Tyres

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