The weather keeps on changing from time to time throughout the year, and this affects driving conditions on all roads. Therefore, you’ll benefit from a smooth driving experience if your vehicle is fitted with seasonally appropriate tires. In fact, in some countries, it’s a legal requirement. That means that you need summer tires fitted to your car to drive in warm summer weather.
What are summer tires?
Also known as performance tires, summer tires are built to provide perfect dry and wet traction and proper vehicle handling. They’re meant to be used in summer, or all year round in regions that don’t experience a true winter.
When to use summer tires
During summer, average temperatures surge past 7° C, and that’s the time you need to fit summer tires to your car. Only performance tires can guarantee high levels of grip on wet or dry pavements through their dedicated tread compound and patterns. They also provide optimal mileage performance and better stability in curves. Next time you want to travel during the summer, just order summer tyres online.
Performance tires appearance and function
When compared to winter tires, summer tires have fewer sipes and larger tread blocks. This way, more rubber is in contact with the road surfacing. The outcome is improved braking stability, shorter braking distance, and better handling. Performance tires also have shallower tread depths compared to winter tires. This is because summer tires don’t need the same grip as winter tires. As a result, performance tires are more stable at high speed. Summer tires specially designed tread bars make them suitable for optimized handling in both wet and dry conditions.
What are performance tires made of?
Maximizing safety and driving comfort in hot weather is the main design criteria of summer tires. Heat is known to soften rubber compounds and this is why performance tires are made of tougher rubber than other tires. Despite being harder than other tires, performance tires should remain soft to allow for maximum driving comfort. This means better fuel efficiency and less tire friction.
Next time you walk into a tire shop, remember to have your choices in order. If you’re in a region that experiences true summer and winter seasons, it’s time you chose tires that are functionally fit for these seasons. Now that you know the difference between summer and winter tires, it won’t be a challenge to choose the one you want.
