If you have already changed back to summer tyres from your winter tyres, then you need to know how to handle a situation where you might wake up one morning and the streets are covered by snow. Or you are driving home from work and a snowstorm surprises you. It can be dangerous if you are not prepared and you don’t know what to do.
If you wake up to winter conditions then it is important that you refrain from driving. Without having winter approved tyres on your vehicle it will be difficult to maneuver in winter conditions with roads covered in snow, ice or slush. You therefore should try to avoid going where you planned to go or find alternative transportation. If you are heavily dependent on your vehicle for daily transportation, then you should always try to change a bit later to avoid getting caught during early spring with the wrong tyres. You can also consider using all-season tyres, which are tyres that can be used both in winter and summer conditions.
If you are driving and you get caught in a sudden snowstorm, then you need to quickly assess the situation. Preferably you should stop, pull over or find a good shelter if you have summer tyres. The best is to stop at a gas station and enjoy a coffee and monitor the weather development. You don’t want to get stuck on the road with lots of cars that also might be without proper winter tyres. If the weather doesn’t improve you have to consider leaving the car behind and finding alternative transportation.
Larger roads with a lot of traffic tend to warm due to the tyre friction and the snow will tend to melt away as it falls, but speeds are also higher on these roads, so if the snow doesn’t melt and you remain on the larger road you can easily end up in a dangerous situation. Also here it is better to refrain to change to summer tyres too early as you can end up in dangerous situations if you are caught without proper winter approved tyres.
When you use studded tyres there are date restrictions dictating when you have to change to summer tyres and this is often sufficient so that you don’t have to get caught in winter conditions. If you do however have winter conditions, the law permits the use of studded tyres even past the set date. If you use non-studded tyres, then you have the option to easily wait a few extra weeks if you believe that there could still be some surprise weather that could still happen. You can use the non-studded tyres without restrictions, but you should be aware that the wear will increase when you use them in warm weather. Spring weather can be ok, but you should definitely avoid using them in summer conditions.
For more information regarding summer, winter and all-season tires, visit: https://www.nokiantyres.com/