Over the coming weeks winter tyres will be the key to keeping motorists and their cars moving. Winter tyres are specially designed and constructed to provide car owners with superior grip and control in both wet and dry driving conditions once the temperature drops below 7°C – thanks to their specialist compound and tread design.
The most recent cold weather conditions are set to return, with many leading Meteorologists forecasting moderate to heavy snowfalls as early as November in many parts of the UK.
On top of this, the Met office has recently released data which clearly indicates that the average temperature last year remained below 7 °C for six months of the year. What this tells us, is that in the UK winter tyres are more than suitable for use throughout the months of October – March.
Winter Tyre Stock
Thanks to an ongoing increase in awareness among motorists in regards to the benefits of using winter tyres, stocks amongst the majority of tyre shops in recent years has quickly sold out once the first snowfalls envelope the UK.
Despite the best efforts by the tyre retail sector in the UK to stock winter tyres to meet demand, once stock levels do go, it becomes almost impossible for UK retailers to bring in more.
This is due to the fact that in many countries within the EU winter tyres must be fitted by law. So, many of the manufacturers are only able to supply retailers and wholesalers in the UK with a certain number. All the rest go to the countries where winter tyres are required as a legal requirement.
Goodyear and Dunlop Winter Tyres
This year, Blackcircles.com has been working hard to secure a vast range of stock in a variety of different sizes. To ensure that the best tyres are available, they have specifically worked hard to bring in large stock levels of Goodyear and Dunlop winter tyres.
Over the past 12 months, both Goodyear and Dunlop brand winter tyres have scored highly in numerous winter tyre tests from highly respected consumer magazines such as Auto Express, Which? and Evo. Their stock includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Goodyear UltraGrip 7 + – Awarded 2nd in Which? Magazine’s winter tyre tests, January 2012
- Goodyear UltraGrip 8 – Awarded 2nd in Auto Express’ winter tyre tests, October 2012
- Dunlop SP Winter Response – Recommended by Germany’s ADAC magazine, September 2012
- Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D – Awarded 1st in Which? Awards, January 2012
- Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D – Awarded 3rd in Auto Express’ winter tyre tests, October 2012
Issues with Winter Tyres and Tyre Labelling
As some of you may already know, a new piece of EU Legislation comes into force which means that every new tyre sold within Europe (with some exceptions) must come with a label that scores the tyres in certain criteria.
However, winter tyres are set to have a rather frosty relationship with this new EU Tyre Label – the reason being that the label scores given to winter tyres is based upon tests that are carried out in the same conditions as summer tyres.
As you know, winter tyres do not perform to their best abilities in these conditions.
As we’ve touched upon earlier in the article, the rubber compound of a winter tyre is of a different composition to a summer or all-season tyre. It contains a far higher percentage of natural rubber.
This enables it to retain its elasticity in temperatures below 7°C– unlike the rest, which are prone to solidifying in freezing conditions, causing the tyre to lose a lot of grip.
So, it is very likely that winter tyres are set to score poorly in the areas tested for the label. Do not allow these scores put you off however, it is best to take it with a pinch of salt.
About James Harding
James Harding is an enthusiastic writer with a passion for the written word. James joined Blackcircles.com in 2009, adding some extra creative firepower to the marketing department.
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