Ways to ensure safe driving

Safety of driving tends to come down to 3 main things, your own experience, the safety of your vehicle and then the tyres that you have mounted on your vehicle. Since cars are expensive you tend to be stuck with your vehicle choice and it is difficult to make a change in the short term. Your own experience comes over time and it is important that you prepare for all driving conditions, not only dry tarmac, which tends to be the easiest condition. You need to also be able to handle wet roads, rain and winter conditions. Winter condition are the most challenging conditions to drive in and everyone will need to practice driving under these conditions.

When it comes to tyres, this is the easiest one to impact. You will need to make sure that you select tyre that can provide the best safety performance for your vehicle during the conditions that you intend to drive in. There will be different tyres depending on your vehicle. You will need special tyres if you have an SUV or a hybrid or an electrical car. You will also have different tyres if you aim to drive in winter conditions. You can also depending on where you live choose an all year round tyre by choosing winter approved all-weather tyres.

For winter tyres it is more important from a safety perspective to ensure that you have the right tyres for the conditions that you will face. This doesn’t mean that the summer tyres are less important, this if of course not the fact, they are both important for your safety, the winter tyres do however face more challenging conditions, so a bad choice can lead to a higher degree of risk.

So in addition of the importance of the importance of correct tyre selection, the car selection is important. This is one of the reasons that more people are choosing safe cars and even SUVs that have excellent safety records. If you do choose an SUV, make sure that you then select SUV summer tyres and SUV winter tyres that can ensure that the safety of the SUV is translated to safety on the road. Bad tyres can jeopardize the safety of your vehicle as a safe vehicle with tyres with only limited grip can not perform as intended.

For more info regarding premium tyres, visit: www.nokiantyres.com

Select the winter tyres that will keep you safe

The tyres that you have on your car have the important task of keeping your car safely on the road and translating the performance of the car to the road. Wrong tyre selection can cause the whole driving experience to be bad and even dangerous. You will need to make sure that both your summer tyres and your winter tyres are of good quality. You need to replace the tyres when the tread depth has gone below 4 mm, as the tyres lose a lot of its key safety properties once you go below that threshold.

Winter tyres are available both as studded and non-studded. They are both good for all the winter conditions that include cold temperatures as well as snow, ice and slush. Winter tyres are actually better than summer tyres at temperatures below zero degrees Celsius, so you don’t have to wait for snow or ice to arrive before you change tyres and enjoy the better safety of the winter tyres at the low temperatures and you will then be ready for the snow and ice as it arrives. Since it is very dangerous to drive with summer tyres once the winter weather arrives, so you need to be prepared and already have winter tyres on when it arrives.

Which tyre to choose, depends a bit on personal preference. It also depends on how and where you drive and then the area where you live. If you live in areas that have a lot of icy roads, then the studded tyres are to prefer as the metal studs provide better grip on ice and packed snow. If you live in areas where you have more snow-covered roads, then both tyre options are good. However, if you tend to drive a lot to other parts or Europe during the winter season, where studded tyres are not allowed, then it is better to choose non-studded tyres, as they are allowed in all countries. You also have fewer restrictions on them when it comes to the time period that you can use them.

It is important to buy premium tyres that will last and will provide sufficient safety when you drive. You also need to make sure that you have them mounted before the winter weather arrives, as they are of no use if they are not on your car.

For more info regarding winter tyres, visit: www.nokiantyres.com

Why you should change to winter tyres

Safety is really the number one reason why you should change to winter tyres, that is if you plan to drive in winter conditions. For it to count as winter conditions you need temperatures below zero degrees and that you have snow or ice.

When are winter tyres better than summer tyres?

Winter tyres are better than summer tyres already when the temperature drops below zero degrees. So you don’t need snow or ice for you to change tyres and have better performance. On ice and snow the winter tyres are far superior to summer tyres, which will provide almost no grip in these conditions.

What tyres are better on snow?

On snow both the studded and non-studded tyres are equally good. So the choice is up to you and your driving behavior. Non-studded tyres have a bit more flexibility, as there are no regulations limiting their use. This can be very useful if you plan to travel across country borders.

For more information regarding winter tyres, visit: https://www.nokiantyres.com/

One winter tyre manufacturer stands above the rest

When it comes to winter tyres, not all the manufacturers have ventures into this category, as it is a more challenging tyre to build. The pioneer within this field is Nokian Tyres that have from they invented the category, been leading it in terms of safety and performance. Developed for best performance in the Finnish winter conditions, which is as harsh as it gets, have made them the go to winter tyre for when you want the best grip and safety. The brand Nokian Hakkapeliitta is synonymous with world-class winter tyres. If you get a set of these you know that it will not be winter conditions that drive you off the road.

They make the full range of tyres from summer tyres, all-weather tyre and winter tyre that are both non-studded and studded. They have over 100 patents when it comes to winter tyres, which is due to the constant development and excessive testing of winter tyres in all different conditions. They have been able to develop non-studded tyres that have excellent grip on ice even thought they don’t have metal studs. This is done through adding gripping particles to the tread as well as having a unique and partially patented tread pattern. This allows the tyres to have similar grip on ice and snow as the studded tyres.

These tyres you can use even on electrical or hybrid cars as they have added canola oil that combined with the natural rubber provides excellent tear strength. This provides them with very good wear resistance and also ensures good resistance to impacts and punctures. The electrical cars are know for having higher wear due to the heavier battery packs, but also that they provide a higher direct torque, so this requires tyres that can handle the higher wear. These tyres will provide you with that, so that you can use them freely regardless of what type of car you are driving.

They also provide you with a low rolling resistance, so that you will have low fuel consumption when you drive. For petrol cars, this will mean less frequent stops at the petrol station and for electrical cars means that you can get further on every charge. Both these will also save you money while you drive during the whole lifetime of the tyre.

For more info regarding Nokian Tyres and Nokian Hakkapeliitta tyres, visit: www.nokiantyres.com

Winter tyres in France, as the winter is approaching

France is a big country and it has parts of the Alps within its territory, so you have quite different winter conditions based on where you live, work or drive normally. If you live in the northern part, the Alps or other wintery areas or the south the tyre options can be very different. It can be from having dedicated winter tyres or then the option of all-weather tyres or then managing with summer tyres all year round.

The tyre option is important to make sure that you an enjoy problem free and safe driving. If you live in an area with proper winter, then you will be best off with a dedicated winter tyre, where you mount them before the winter weather arrives and then change to summer tyres as soon as the winter weather ends. This will give you the best performance and safety when it comes to grip and winter driving properties. You can choose between studded or non-studded tyres, where the studded will have better grip on icy surfaces. It can be the difference of getting up a steep icy hill versus not.

If you live in an area where you only have occasional winter weather but you want to make sure that you are safe when driving in winter conditions, a winter approved all-weather tyre is probably the best option for you. These can be used for all year round driving or then just as winter tyres and then you can change to summer tyres when the summer arrives. This will give you optimal performance during the summer and still provide you with sufficient protection during the winter if the snow would show up. This might be an option if you have a high performance car, where you don’t want to limit any performance during the summer, while you still want to be able to drive it all year round and you can accept not the optimal performance during the winter.

In Provence and other similar areas where it rarely snows, you are probably better off with just keeping the summer tyres on your car and if it does snow, then just refrain from using the car. If you absolutely need the car, then use all-weather tyres all year round.

For more information regarding the best winter tyres for driving in France, visit: www.nokiantyres.com

Winters around Europe are different

As Europe is a big continent the weather varies a lot. The northern parts have 4 clear seasons and some of the southern parts have basically no winters. Therefore there are no European tyre regulations covering the whole continent. There are even different tyre options available, where the Nordics don’t have all-weather tyres, as there is a real long winter present, so the dedicated winter tyres are a better and safer option. While in the central parts of Europe an all-weather tyre is a perfect option for areas that have sporadic winter weather, so a tyre change might not make sense. Here you can have all year round safety within one tyre. If you don’t have any winter weather presence, you can use the summer tyres all year round.

The Nordic has laws stating that you have to have winter tyres mounted during winter. For studded tyres there is an earliest date when you can have them on your car and there is a last date you can have them on in spring. Both these dates only apply if there are no winter conditions, if you still have winter weather common sense applies and you will not get fined. In central and southern Europe some countries have limitation on the use of and some have made it mandatory. In addition to the Nordics, it is mandatory to have winter tyres during the winter months in Estonia, Latvia Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia. Then you have a few countries where it is mandatory if the weather demands it, these are Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia. Where Italy, Spain and France have certain roads demands it. Then you have the countries where they studded tyres are prohibited. These include Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Great Britain, Czech Republic and Poland. In addition they are not allowed in Switzerland on the highways.

These restrictions can of course cause some problems if you plan to drive through Europe with studded tyres. In Germany you will get fined and prohibited to continue before you can change to non-studded tyres. So this can be quite costly. So it is important to plan your trips and also take it into consideration when you make your tyre choice. When countries require winter tyres, you will need to have tyres that have been approved for winter conditions and have the 3PMSF-symbol on the sidewall.

For more information regarding winter tyres, visit: www.nokiantyres.com

Winter is approaching, so change your tyres

There are numerous articles written on this subject and most people are aware of it, but still every year people are caught badly prepared for the winter when it arrives. People are very reluctant to change to winter tyres too early, so they wait it out and then end up caught by surprise. It is true that winter tyres are to be used only during the winter season, the main reasons is because they have been optimized for cold temperatures and winter surfaces. There might be regulations, which make the studded tyres should not be mounted on your car outside certain dates.

Since winter tyres have been optimized for the cold temperatures, it means that it is enough that the temperatures drops before you should change. When you have temperatures below zero degrees Celsius, the winter tyres perform better than summer tyres. So you should just wait for the snow to arrive, as soon as you see that the night temperatures go below zero you can change your tyres. Having summer tyres and trying to drive in winter conditions is associated with danger, while having winter tyres and you have some warmer weather, the main drawback is slightly higher wear, but it is not associated with danger. So from a safety perspective it is important to do the change early.

Higher wear is often also associated with low tyre pressure or low quality tyres, so change tyres early, but make sure that you have high quality winter tyres to reduce wear during the times when you drive before the winter arrives. Make also sure to check your tyre pressure so that you have the right pressure in the tyres to ensure that you have low rolling resistance and thus low wear. High rolling resistance also negatively impacts your fuel consumption so it is important to check it. The pressure is correlated with temperature, so that when the temperature drops, so does the tyre pressure. So the pressure will not be constant, which warrants a regular tyre pressure check when you visit the petrol station.

Changing tyres to winter tyres is all about safety and performance. You want to make sure that you can drive safely and stay on the road during the winter. So make sure to change early enough before the winter starts for the best results.For more info regarding changing to winter tyres, visit: www.nokiantyres.com

Winter tires improves the safety for you and your passengers

Proper tyres improve the safety for everyone in your car, but also for the other cars that are around you. Proper winter tyres are very important for your driving safety as they dictate how well you will be able to stay on the road, how short your braking distance will be and what grip and control you will have. This is why it is so important that you select tyres that are matching the environment where you will drive. If you live in an area that have a few months of proper winter, you should get proper winter tyres that are optimized for these conditions.  They will need to be mounted before the winter weather arrives and will be changed to summer tyres when the winter has passed.

This will give you the best possible grip on all winter surfaces and will work better than summer tyres when the temperature drops below zero degrees, where the summer tyres start becoming too hard to provide you with the sufficient grip that you will need for safe driving. This is why you will need to make sure that you have winter tyres mounted well before the winter starts. You don’t have to wait for the snow to arrive, it is enough that the night temperatures go below zero degrees. The longer you wait with changing the higher the risk is that you might have some unexpected snow arriving. If this happens you should avoid driving and find alternative transportation to get to your destination. So if you are really dependent on your vehicle it is better to change a week too early than risk getting caught by an unexpected weather change. This is also true when it comes to changing back to summer tyres, don’t do it too early.

When it comes to selecting the winter tyres, you can choose from studded tyres or non-studded tyres. Some areas might restrict the use of studded tyres, where you have to go with a non-studded tyre. In these cases you can often choose between a year round tyre like an all-weather tyre or then the seasonal winter tyre. The seasonal is the correct choice if you will have a few months of proper winter, where as the all-weather tyre is perfect for more irregular areas where it is good to always be prepared.For more info regarding winter tyres, visit: www.nokiantyres.com

Tyre options for the winter

Studded tyres: The studded tyres use metal studs protruding from the tread to provide the necessary grip on icy surfaces. They have some limitations when it comes to the period, when they can be used.

Non-studded tyres: The non-studded tyres don’t have metal studs and can be used without limitations. They are though optimized for the winter season and will have increased wear if used during the warmer season. The tyres use unique tread design to provide the necessary grip on ice and snow. They are just as good as studded on snow and almost as good on ice.

All-weather tyres: All-weather tyres are a good tyre for all weather conditions, so they work just as well on dry summer roads as on snowy winter roads.

For more information regarding winter tyres, visit: https://www.nokiantyres.com/

Winter tyres early enough is the key to good driving safety

Winter tyres are absolutely necessary for driving safely during the winter, if you have sub-zero temperatures. When you also have ice, snow or slush, your summer tyres don’t stand much of a chance to keep you safe on the road. This is why winter tyres are so important and it is very important that you make sure that they are mounted before the cold winter weather arrives. This is very important if you are dependent on your car for everyday use. You will otherwise have to leave your car behind if you still have summer tyres mounted when winter conditions arrive unexpectedly before you change.

Trying to drive with summer tyres on your car in winter conditions, regardless of how short of a drive you plan to do, is associated with great danger. That is why you shouldn’t attempt it and why you should make sure that you change the tyres early enough so that you don’t put yourself in that situation. Weather can be quite unpredictable, so it is sometimes difficult to know just how early the winter weather will arrive. From October the risk at least increases and you should almost surely change before November even if the winter hasn’t arrived, but you know it will not be far away once you enter into November.

If you have studded tyres, then you might have date restrictions of the earliest date that you can change to studded tyres, while with non-studded tyres there are not any restrictions for how early you can mount them. So you might as well mount them on a certain date and not risk anything or jeopardize your safety. Winter tyres have been designed for tackling the challenging weather such as snow, ice and slush. You need to have the special treads that have been designed to handle those conditions.

Both non-studded and studded tyres are great at handling winter conditions in a safe and reliable way to give your car the control and grip that you need for safe driving. Their tread is optimized for cold weather and the winter conditions to provide you with the safest alternative for the winter season. When the winter has passed, then it is time to change back to summer tyres. Don’t change back too early but also not too late as the tyre wear will be higher if you drive with winter tyres longer than necessary.

For more info regarding winter tyres, visit: www.nokiantyres.com