There’s a good reason for that. Roads in summer and winter months are like chalk and cheese. Unlike summer, the sun doesn’t shine brightly on winter days. There are snow and ice everywhere, and, lest we forget, there’s fog and mist to tackle as well.

There are problems aplenty when it comes to driving in winter. Thankfully, there is a solution as well- winter tyres. Yes, just like you, your car wheels tohave a different wardrobe for summer and winter.

But why isn’t one set of tyres Tamworth adequate for the entire year? We’ll tell you why.

Winter tyres for optimum winter performance

No matter what T.S Eliot says about April being the cruellest month, we, car drivers know that it cannot beat the November-February stretch in road treachery.If the snow wasn’tbad enough, there’s also the occasional rain. Summer tyres are utterly incapable of handling these things when the temperature is hovering around freezing point.

So, how do winter tyres take these problems head-on? Well, didn’t we tell you that they are special?

• Softer rubber compound

We can all agree that tyres need more traction on snowy roads, what with all the ice and snow. Winter tyres achieve this by using a unique rubber compound that is considerably softer than the one used in summer tyres. The softer compounds allow extra contact patch with the road, enabling extra grip and by extension, better handling in such conditions.

For example, Michelin’s flagship winter tyres, X-Ice Xi3, uses a FleX-Ice silica-based rubber compound that remains flexible in both wet and dry roads.

• It’s all in the treads

If you notice a summer car tyre in Northampton or wherever you live, you’ll find that they have very shallow groves. It’s almost as if the treads have worn out. Driving with those type of tyres can prove to be catastrophic.
Winter tyres, on the other hand, sport much deeper grooves. Apart from its apparent aquaplaning purpose, the deeper grooves are pivotal for driving in the snow. They trap snow in them,and as we all know, snow grips snow the best.

Winter car tyres in Northampton often also feature something called sipes. These are tiny indentations or slits on the surface of the tyre which improve traction on snow and ice.

An excellent example is Michelin Pilot Road 4, which sports chamfered sipes for superior wet grip.

Various tests conducted by leading agencies have confirmed that winter tyres are indeed better than summer tyres in almost every aspect when the mercury drops below 7C. Even in towns such as Northampton, which seldom gets snow, winter tyres are just as necessary.

So, the next time you shop for Jackson MOT Centre tyres, don’t forget to check out the winter tyre section. Michelin is one of the brands that you can trust with your eyes closed to provide you with the best possible quality tyres.

No guys, winter tyres aren’t a big, lousy ploy to make you buy an extra set of tyres! They are as necessary for your car in winter as your pullover is for you.