When should you change to summer tyres?
Drivers’ attitudes towards the change tyres can be described as better sooner than later or I’ll still make it. Whilst it’s not worth delaying the change to winter tyres for too long – as you might be caught out by black ice on the road – there’s no need to be in such a hurry when switching to summer tyres. Especially now, when the weather can be really unpredictable, and snow in April or even early May no longer surprises anyone. So when is it safe to switch to summer tyres?
Changing to summer tyres
We change to summer tyres primarily for financial reasons. If you don’t want to order new tyres every season, it’s worth limiting the time you use winter tyres in summer conditions, as they wear out disproportionately faster than summer tyres. Furthermore, switching to summer tyres improves driving comfort and safety. Therefore, if you are not using all-season tyres, you should remember to change them. When exactly?
It is generally accepted that summer tyres should be fitted when the average daily temperature is above 7°C. What does this mean? In practice, we are unable to specify a precise date for changing tyres – sometimes it may be the end of March (although in this case most drivers feel it is worth waiting a little longer), at other times mid-April. Due to the changeable weather in early spring, we do not recommend switching to summer tyres after just a few days of average daily temperatures above 7°C. In this case, we believe it is worth waiting until the weather stabilises.
Two cars at home and a tyre change
If you alternate between two cars, you can spread the change to summer tyres over time – fitting them to one car earlier and the other later. In this case, we recommend fitting the tyres earlier to the vehicle that is used less frequently. For the car we use on a daily basis, the timing of the tyre change should depend entirely on the road conditions dictated by the weather. Following this simple rule will ensure a comfortable and safe journey for us and our passengers.