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Can I use summer tyres below 7 degrees centigrade?
As an expat Canadian, I am well used to the notion of winter tyres. I was listening to a programme on Radio 4 this morning on the subject and an "expert" from the tyre industry stated that ordinary tyres (the ones which are attached to a car when you purchase it) are only "good" down to 7 degrees C. At temperatures below that they no longer grip the road properly. I live in the west of Scotland, where seldom a winter goes by without sub-zero temperatures. Does this mean that all cars sold here come with potentially dangerous tyres installed as factory standard?
Asked on 9 March 2013 by GC, via email
Answered by
Honest John
It's the way he said it. Of course you can use summer tyres down to -20C, just as you can use winter tyres to 30C. But winter tyres are optimised for temperatures below 7C, and summer tyres are optimised for temperatures above 7C.
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
From choosing the right tyre to what to do when it goes wrong - we have the answers.
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