What is the difference between winter, summer and all-season tyres?

Fundamental differences between tyres are their structure, tread pattern and compound.

Winter tyres

Winter tyres have a higher content of natural rubber which keeps them more flexible in the cold. The softer they are, the better they perform in all winter conditions, from wet and cold to snow and ice. Unlike summer tyres, which used to be harder during cold wheater, winter tyres perform best during temperatures below +7 degrees C.

Winter tyres feature more aggressive and a deeper tread pattern, designed to clear away all the dirt and digging into snow for greater traction. Tread blocks of winter tyres have thousands of tiny grooves used to dissipate water and prevent aquaplaning.

It is very easy to spot a winter tyre thanks to a ‘Snowflake on a Mountain’ symbol (known as 3PMSF - Three Peak Mountain Snow Flake) on its side wall, showing that it satisfies the requirements for winter conditions. The 3PMSF symbol is regulated by EU authorities, which guarantees that the product meets the conditions of careful testing which focus mainly on braking and traction. To obtain the 3PMSF symbol, tyres are requiered to perform at > 110% of SRTT (Standard Reference Test Tyre) in at least six out of ten test trials.

Winter tyres in summer

Winter tyres function at their best in cold weather because of a softer tread but will wear out a lot quicker on warm roads or even will disintegrate. Another thing to remember is fuel economy.  On warm surface, the rolling resistance of a winter tyre is higher which means the engine has to spend more energy to run the car. And let's not forget that by consuming more fuel, the car has a higher emission of carbon dioxide so it negatively affects the environment.

If we think about the handling than it suffers as well. Being to soft on warm surface, winter tyres are not as responsive as it should be in a critical situation and have a longer stopping distance.

Summer tyres

Summer tyres have a hard compound which gets softer during warm temperatures to be able to adapt better to road conditions. The tread pattern is designed to provide a larger footprint with the road resulting in a better handling, a shorter braking distance and a better stability at higher speeds.

The main advantage of summer tyres is the optimised handling in wet and dry conditions. Their specially designed tread bars offer a better grip and minimise aquaplaning. Thanks to a reduced rolling resistance because of a hard compound, summer tyres are more fuel efficient and less noisy.

Summer tyres in winter

Summer tyres are not created for low temperatures and that is why they lose its elasticity and may crack. Driving with summer tyres during the winter period can be considered improper use by some manufacturer which will result in losing the waranty. As well it can be considered illegal in some areas so you risk a fine and some penalty points on your driving license.

All-season tyres

Here we have a very simple concept: to be able to drive with just one set of tyres all year round in any weather condition. All-season tyres are designed to offer adequate handling in a variety of conditions but with a compromise that you have to accept and to understand that these do not match the individual performance of summer and winter tyres.

All season tyres have some special marks to be identified. Best known is the symbol M+S (Mud and Snow) while you can find as well tyres with snowflake symbol or simply with the inscription ALL SEASON marked onto the side.

Fast facts

• 3 mm is the recommended minimum depth for summer tyres whilst for winter tyres is recommended 4 mm.
• When the temperature falls below +7 degrees C, it is time to fit the winter tyres.