Winter tire under pressure
More and more people choose to fit all-season tires on their car. This winter, according to the Bovag and Kwikfit, that appears again. Incidentally, the mild winter has not yet led to an early switch from winter to summer tyres.
The trend that more and more drivers are using all-season tires (also known as all-season tyres) is continuing. This is partly due to the warmer weather, according to car industry association Bovag and garage chain Kwikfit. The season to change summer tires for winter tires usually starts around October, but all-season tires are ‘increasingly popular’, according to a Bovag spokesman. “With four-season tires you meet all winter tire requirements in Germany and Austria if you choose the right type. It is a compromise between summer and winter tires and saves a change. It is a relatively new phenomenon that is now emerging,” said the spokesperson. According to Bovag, all-season tires are widely available.
Are winter tires completely on their way back then? Well, there are still quite a few people who just switch to that in the run-up to winter. When asked, garage chain Kwikfit says that a few weeks ago – when it was colder – it was ‘extremely busy’ with the tire change from summer to winter tires. “People react immediately to weather conditions,” says a spokeswoman. Despite this, Kwikfit already noted an increase in the popularity of all-season tires in October, particularly among private motorists. These were customers who previously only drove on summer tyres. Business drivers still opt for summer and winter tires because they cover a lot of kilometers, according to Kwikfit.
The Bovag also signaled a massive tire change just before the turn of the year. Then it was cold for more than a week and a half with temperatures below zero. The temperature is now much higher again. “People don’t suddenly switch back now,” said the spokesperson. “That only happens when spring arrives again, around March.” According to the Bovag, many owners of lease cars automatically receive a signal when tires need to be changed. “Individuals sometimes want to wait until the first snowflake.” According to the branch club, winter tires do better below 7 degrees Celsius. Winter tires wear out much faster in warmer weather. “Driving in winter with summer tires is much less harmful, except when it is wet, slippery and cold,” says the Bovag spokesman.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl