Contents
Every autumn, motorists wonder when is the best time to change summer tires to winter ones. The general recommendation is: “When the average daily temperature reaches +5 Celsius!”. That is why on many modern cars, when the temperature drops to +4 ° C, a warning appears on the instrument panel in the form of a flashing of this very value, accompanied by an audible signal.
Therefore, if for one reason or another you find yourself with your four-wheeled friend in the zone of such temperature, especially on the track, it is better to mount winter tires in advance.
In settlements (excluding mountainous and very hilly areas) it is possible to move on summer tires even before the first frost. I cannot recommend this, but as a necessary measure, it is quite viable. I also can’t help but notice from experience that in the case of a terrain with a significant elevation difference or long gentle descents / ascents, especially when driving at speeds of more than 80-90 km / h, it is safer to switch to winter wheels in advance. Firstly, you will have time to get used to the peculiarities of the behavior of your iron horse on soft rubber. Secondly, as always “unexpectedly” the coming glaciation will not take you by surprise. Winter wheels will leave precious seconds (and their fractions) for maneuver, will allow you to overcome the extreme meters of a steep climb.
What does the Law say? Technical regulation of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles” 018/2011, in particular paragraph 5.5, prescribes: “It is forbidden to operate vehicles equipped with tires with anti-skid studs in the summer (June, July, August).
It is prohibited to operate vehicles that are not equipped with winter tires that meet the requirements of paragraph 5.6.3 of this Appendix during the winter period (December, January, February). Winter tires are installed on all wheels of the vehicle.
The terms of the prohibition of operation can be changed upwards by the regional government bodies of the states – members of the Customs Union.
How to choose winter tires for your car
During the winter months: December, January and February, only winter tires are allowed. It is allowed to install on the car both studded and non-studded. It is important that they have an index: “M + S”, “M & S” or “MS”. The statutory deadlines for the ban on the use of summer tires by local authorities can only be increased, but cannot be reduced. For example, your region may ban summer tires from October to April. At the same time, the authorities at the regional level cannot reduce the period of the ban in force on the “union” territory: from December to February, cars throughout the territory of the Customs Union must use only winter tires.
Thus, if we proceed strictly from the terms specified in the Technical Regulations, it turns out:
| Summer tires (without M&S marking) | can be used from March to November |
| Winter studded tires (marked M&S) | can be used from September to May |
| Winter non-studded tires (marked M&S) | can be used all year round |
Regarding the latter option, you should immediately warn those who want to save money: winter tires in summer not only hold the road worse (longer stopping distance), but also wear out faster. Their only reasonable use is on wet off-road. But even in this case, it is better to “splurge” on mud tires marked – MT (Mud Terrain) or at least AT (All Terrain).
It turns out in the end, if you have wheels with summer and winter studded tires, then you should replace them before winter from September to November. In the spring, you will need to change the wheels during the spring months: from March to May.
The recommendation for replacing winter tires with summer tires is mirror-like: when the average daily temperature exceeds the cherished +5 Cº. It is from this temperature value that the “summer” tire mixtures begin to work. The exception is possible sharp night cold snaps. Therefore, the average experienced motorist changes winter tires for summer tires when it is stable +5 C and above in the yard, and night frosts are not predicted.
There is still a lot of controversy around: “Which is better: to have complete wheels or to carry out tire fitting every season”? Like, it harms the tires (onboard zone and sidewall cord). In theory, everything is so – it is cheaper and easier to change the wheels as an assembly: when the tire is mounted on a wheel (in everyday life – a “disk”). In practice, my more than 20 years of experience and my friends (6-7 seasons already) have shown that nothing criminal happens to tires if tire fitting employees have the necessary and sufficient experience. By the way, many have already begun to use such a convenient option as an on-site tire fitting. If you are interested, write in the comments, I will tell you about this market and the cost of services.