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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
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