As vehicle design and technology has advanced over the years - tyres have done the same to cope with heavier faster cars with more advanced braking systems. Because other parts of the world have extreme winter versus summer conditions, winter tyres have been specially developed over many years and work best in temperatures under 7 degrees Celsius. They look like normal tyres but perform differently.
Below 7°C you would stop 11 metres sooner than with summer tyres (when braking on an icy road from just 20mph). That is 4.8 metres shorter in wet conditions from 60mph.
Tyres are rated for the maximum amount of speed and weight they should carry. Typically winter tyres have a lower speed rating than the summer tyre for your car. However, even an H rated tyre has a maximum speed of 131mph so in winter conditions – this should not compromise your driving. Regardless of the stated maximum speed, please observe the speed limit at all times.
Winter tyres last as long as summer tyres and perform better in winter conditions. Depending on your mileage, they may last for 2 or 3 winters and so save on the wear on your summer tyres – postponing their replacement.
Due to superior grip from winter tyres, cars should be fitted with 4 winter tyres or 4 summer tyres, of the same speed rating and the same load index. We will not undertake any requests to fit tyres where the total number of winter or summers tyres, upon completion, would be less than 4.
We recommend that come March when it should be averaging nearer 7 degrees in the morning, you change back to summer tyres. We will contact you to arrange the “swap” back the following season.
We will provide a tyre bag for each tyre so it's easy and clean to take home. Stack your tyres so that they are lying flat on the ground (ie the tread is not face down). If you don’t have much storage at home – why not book in your summer tyres into the ‘Tyre Hotel’? Kwik Fit will label up your tyres and they will be safely stored until you make an appointment to refit them next year. Your original tyre set will be returned to you. This is common practice in mainland Europe. We will store them for a maximum of 6 months from the date of purchase. We will contact you to arrange the ‘swap’ back the following season. Kwik Fit reserves the right to responsibly dispose of any unclaimed tyres left in the hotel after 6 months. Kwik Fit will only store your tyres, we cannot store wheels and trims.
They are designed for optimal safety in the cold, wet, ice and snow conditions below 7 degree
Some insurance companies require notification that winter tyres are fitted to a car or van. Please contact your insurer for more information.
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