December 1978 into January 1979 is on record as one of the UK's worst winters with snow storms and blizzards engulfing the country. With very little snow (other than in remote areas) in recent winters the question over the need for winter tyres rages on.
It’s not an easy ‘yes or no’ answer to the question, should I get winter tyres. Just because we don’t endure lots of snow in the UK, it doesn’t necessarily mean that winter tyres have no place on our roads.
Here’s our guide to winter tyres and whether they should be part of your car leasing consideration.
What are winter tyres?
Winter tyres use a tread rubber compound (high silica content) and tread pattern specifically designed to retain flexibility in low temperatures (below +7C) and give good braking/traction performance on snow and ice as well as on wet roads in cold conditions.
Winter tyres aren’t suited to all year round use though – summer tyres will give better performance when temperatures are higher and roads dry – so you'll need two sets of tyres if you're going to choose specialist tyres for winter.
So… winter tyres aren’t all about deep snow and sub zero temperatures.
Should you buy winter tyres?
Winter tyres make sense if you live in a remote area where winter conditions are likely to be worse for longer.
Some people who rely on being on the road for their income will be able to justify the cost – even a few days lost to bad weather can have a detrimental affect on income.
How much do they cost?
Costs vary, of course depending on wheel size etc, but £300- £400 for a set of four (Winter tyres must be fitted in sets of four as fitting only one pair will affect the balance and stability of the car) is about average.
Do I need permission to fit winter tyres to my lease car?
If you are driving a lease car you won’t need permission from your car leasing company to get winter tyres fitted. However if you do have maintenance as part of your car leasing agreement winter tyre fitting won’t be covered.
Other things to consider.
As well as the cost of the tyre you have to pay to get them taken off and fitted again next Winter.
You will also need somewhere to store them when they’re not in use.
This article from The Guardian is great further reading – we’d love to know if you have invested in winter tyres – tell us on our Facebook page