Safety First, when should tyres be replaced?

It is now clear that having a double "set" of tyres is a recipe that works, and the advance payment of the sum of money required is an investment that doubles the mileage and allows drivers to count on the very best safety conditions all year round.

After a time of uncertainty and inconsistent local by-laws, the deadlines to be sure to avoid any penalties (but also and above all to have the best equipment) are on average 15th November and 15th April, considering national or local regulations too.

It is however unthinkable that millions of motorists should decide to fit their cars with four winter tyres on the exact same day in mid-November, and replace them with their summer tyre set in spring, all within a 24-hour window. So planning ahead with your trusted tyre specialist is the ideal solution, and you can count on the possibility granted by the Highway code of using your car with winter tyres even before and after the legal time window.

Provided that the speed code of the tyres is type-approved and not "self-reduced". Contrary to what occurs with classic equipment for which the law provides only for the possibility of improving the speed code, with winter tyres you can take a step back. This opportunity was launched years ago, when winter tyres were type-approved for relatively low speeds, but which still applies today. In actual fact, the problem has been entirely overcome since, for example, a car type-approved with tyres with speed code Y (up to 300 km/h) can be also equipped with winter tyres with code V (up to 240 km/h). Provided you apply a sticker on the dashboard reminding you not to exceed the new limit.

For The seasonal replacement of summer/winter tyres it is always recommended to get in contact with a tyre specialist that, besides the tyre change, can check their tread wear, any external issue or internal damage, as well as offering the option to store your tyres in suitable places and in the best conditions.

It is possible to have four complete wheels including winter tyres as an alternative to the original wheels fitted with summer tyres a bigger investment for the purchase of the rims, but the advantages should not be underestimated. I This option makes possible the use of rims with a smaller diameter and cross-section (where envisaged by the vehicle registration) specific for winter tyres that, in addition to the benefits in snowy conditions, can have advantages of use on uneven roads. Steel wheels can replace alloy wheels with a lower cost, if damaged, ensuring better comfort.

The replacement times are in many cases dictated by the agreements reached with your trusted tyre specialist, who has to manage hundreds of customers with the exact same requirements all concentrated in the same period, but we should also keep in mind that more than the Highway code, it is the weather that dictates the deadlines. It is now a well-known fact that a winter tyre works best under 7°C.°. On the contrary, summer tyres, especially if they belong to the UHP category for high performance cars, work effortlessly.

If we talk about convenience in absolute terms, the moment in which you buy winter tyres for the first time or when the four tyres you previously fitted reach the end of their life becomes crucial. It may seem absurd, but the best time to buy is in the summer, for a number of reasons. First of all, you can count on the almost total availability of different brands, models and sizes, which is no longer the case last minute, on the eve of a major snowfall. All with positive repercussions also in terms of costs.