How not to get stuck with winter tires?

 

1. Don't wait for the first snow. Summer tires lose their performance at temperatures below 7 degrees. If it's wet, traction deteriorates and braking distances become significantly longer.

2. Winter is not the same as winter. The Baltic countries are traditionally classified as part of the Northern European region, but in fact, traffic conditions in Scandinavia are significantly different from what is usually encountered in Lithuania. There is two to six times less snow here than in Finland. The average multi-year January temperature in our region fluctuates between 4 degrees below zero and 4 degrees above zero, while in Northern Scandinavia it is rarely below 10 degrees below zero. It is obvious that the tasks that tires have to solve in winter in different regions are usually completely different. That is, when evaluating the results of comparative tire tests, the experience of Germany, but not Sweden or Finland, should be examined more closely.
3. The needs of motorists are very different , so when choosing new tires, it is necessary to consult with qualified specialists and analyze how much and what roads you have to drive, whether you have to travel to western or northern Europe, etc. The decision depends on this - solid rubber compound non-studded, soft rubber compound non-studded or studded tires.

4. Studded tires are the safest in almost all winter conditions. However, they are noisier (approximately 3-5 decibels) and slightly more slippery on dry asphalt. In addition, this type of tire results in higher fuel consumption (4-8 percent).

Tačiau net lyginant pačias pigiausias dygliuotas padangas su pačiomis geriausiomis nedygliuotomis, pastarosios pralaimi stabdymo dvikovą beveik 4 metrais. Dygliuotos padangos Lietuvoje labai tinka tiems vairuotojams, kurie gyvena užmiestyje, vienkiemiuose, dažnai važinėja apsnigtais, nesutvarkytais keliais. Tokios padangos gali praversti net ir gyvenantiems mieste: pasitaiko, kad naujos statybos daugiabučių požeminių garažų išvažiavimai būna labai statūs ir žiemą vairuotojai juos įveikia tikrai ne iš pirmo karto, jei neturi dygliuotų padangų.

5. Studless tires with a soft rubber compound and numerous sipes allow you to travel safely on snowy roads, but they do a disservice when driving on clean asphalt - due to the lower overall tread stiffness, the car starts to "float" under the influence of centrifugal forces, and the braking distance increases. Such tires brake worse on wet roads.

In addition, soft rubber compound tires wear out a little faster: in order for such tires not to freeze in the cold, extremely soft rubber compounds are used, so one millimeter of tread wears out about two to three times faster than studded or stiffer non-studded winter tires. Especially if you drive in a more aggressive "sporty" style.

6. Winter tires with a harder rubber compound are recommended for drivers who live in large cities, travel mainly on well-maintained highways, or regularly travel to the southern countries of the Old Continent. Even in Poland, studded tires are prohibited.

7. More expensive or cheaper? So-called "Premium" class tires are more expensive, but noticeably better. Independent tests have proven that when comparing premium tires with cheaper ones, their braking distances usually differ by several meters, which can be fatal in winter.

Expensive, high-quality tires are quieter, help save fuel, and last longer. If rolling resistance is 3-4 percent lower, over its entire service life, it saves as much as the cost of one tire.

8. The minimum tread depth is 4 mm. Although officially it is possible to operate a car in winter with tires with a tread depth of 3 mm, it should be borne in mind that this is the limit beyond which driving becomes dangerous. You should start looking for new winter tires when the tread depth wears down to 5 mm, and stop driving after the 4 mm limit is exceeded.

If a new tire with a tread depth of 8 mm has 47 percent grip at 125 km/h, then when worn down to 4 mm, it has only 11 percent.