When should I change my winter tires for summer tyres?

18 februari 2022

The temperatures are starting to rise again and the flower bulbs are slowly coming out: spring is coming! This is also often the time when car drivers wonder when they should replace their winter tires with summer tyres. Below we tell you when it is best to do this and what exactly you should pay attention to.

7 degrees

When the temperature is above 7 degrees every day, it's time to take your summer tires out of the shed and store the winter tires. The same applies the other way around: when it gets colder than 7 degrees in the winter, you can equip your car with winter tires. Don't wait too long, especially in winter. Before you know it there is a lot of snow and you don't have winter tires. If you have to hit the road with summer tires at that time, this can cause very dangerous situations.

Difference between summer and winter tires

But what are the differences between a summer and a winter tyre? Summer tires have hard rubber and winter tires have soft rubber. This is because the winter tires must also remain flexible during lower temperatures and you have more grip on the road, especially when there is snow. Winter tires have a coarse tire profile compared to the summer tyre.

But don't keep driving with a winter tire for too long when the temperatures start to rise. A winter tire wears out much faster in warmer weather, which means that they have less grip and are therefore less safe during braking. The same applies to the summer tyre: it wears out faster in winter weather, because the rubber is not suitable for this. Therefore, change your tires in time so that you can safely hit the road.

All-season tyres

Unfortunately, some people sometimes forget to change the tires on time. A good solution for this are all-season tires: tires that can be used for every season. But there are a number of conditions for this. For example, all-season tires are a great alternative for city cars that don't make many kilometers and not so much on the highway. All-season tires are also fine for cars that are not used very much, for example as a second car. Winter tires and summer tires are recommended for cars that do make a lot of kilometers.

But also keep in mind that different rules apply abroad. In several countries such as Germany and Austria it is mandatory to have winter tires on your car if you visit it in the winter months.

Time to change tires? Keep this in mind

When you are about to change your tires, it is important to take a number of things into account. For example, you should check the condition of your tires: are the tires not worn and how deep is the profile of the tire? The car must also be properly balanced after you have replaced the tires and you should also always check the tire pressure. If the tire pressure is too low, the tires will wear out faster. So take these things into account so that you can make safe kilometers in your car again.