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Winter tyres have been developed to deliver a performance in cold and wintery conditions. In general they are designed with a different tread pattern than summer tyres and have a rubber compound that is higher silica. This makes them more suitable for driving on ice and wet surfaces.
The tread pattern on a winter tyre is deeper and wider than standard tyres. This unique design means they are able to better grip the road. On top of this, it improves their ability to evacuate water and snow from the contact area.
The tread compound of a winter tyre remains more flexible in freezing temperatures. Allowing the tyre to conform to the road surface. Providing better traction and grip. Winter tyres feature small slits on the shoulders of their tread blocks, called sipes. These further enhance the performance on snow and ice as the sipes 'bite' in to snow.
How to identify if I have winter tyres?
Winter tyres that have passed the EU regulations feature a snowflake inside a mountain peak on their sidewall.
You can also check the sidewall of the tyre for markings such as M+S or M&S. These markings indicate that the tyre is suitable for use in mud and snow. However, if they only have this, it means they have not passed the EU regulations.