When should I exchange my winter tires for summer tires?

18 februari 2022

Temperatures are starting to rise again and the flower bulbs are slowly emerging: spring is coming! This is also often the moment when drivers wonder when they should replace their winter tires with summer tires. Below we will 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 is 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 winter, you can fit your car with winter tires. Don't wait too long, especially in winter. Before you know it, there will be a lot of snow and you won't have winter tires. If you have to go on the road with summer tires at that moment, this can cause very dangerous situations.

Difference between summer and winter tires

But what are the differences between a summer and a winter tire? Summer tires have hard rubber and winter tires have soft rubber. This is because winter tires must remain flexible even 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 summer tires.

But don't drive for too long with a winter tire when temperatures start to rise. A winter tire wears out much faster in warmer weather, which means they have less grip and are therefore less safe when braking. The same applies to the summer tire: 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 get on the road safely.

All-season tires

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. All-season tires are an excellent alternative for city cars that do not travel many kilometers and not so much on the highway. All-season tires are also great for cars that are not used very much, for example as a second car. Winter tires and summer tires are recommended for cars that travel 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 them during 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. This is how 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 replacing the tires and you should 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 drive safe kilometers in your car again.