Why Should You Use Winter Tires? Here are 5 Basic Benefits of Winter Tires

Produced for cold weather conditions and temperatures of +7°C and below, winter tires are designed with tread patterns that prioritize traction. So why should you switch to winter tires when the temperature drops? Goodyear lists five key benefits of winter tires to help your vehicle make the best footprint in the coming cold winter season.

Provides more flexibility, more grip

It is produced from softer rubber than summer tires, giving winter tires more flexibility. Cold and harsh winter conditions cause the tire tread to harden, reducing its adhesion to the road surface. Because winter tires are designed to provide flexibility when temperatures drop, more of the tire is in contact with the road. Goodyear's Winter Grip Technology introduces a new rubber compound that makes the rubber more flexible at low temperatures, allowing for better grip on snowy and icy surfaces.

Special sipes for better traction

Deeper, more prominent and different capillary channels (thin slits opened transversely) on the tread allow the snow to be caught. Then, the snow that freezes in the capillary channels acts as a kind of claw or crampons, increasing the grip on the snowy ground. However, the soft tread pattern increases traction on ice. Thus, even non-four-wheel drive vehicles grip the road better.

Increased aquaplaning resistance

The special hydrodynamic grooves of Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ and UltraGrip Performance+ winter tires expel water rapidly from the tire surface. This reduces the risk of aquaplaning, which means the tires lose grip due to water accumulation between the tire and the road surface, and improves traction in dangerous conditions such as roads covered with melted snow.

Shorter braking distance technology

Goodyear's Snow Protect Technology is designed to reduce braking distance on snow-covered roads. Another groundbreaking innovation found in the new UltraGrip Performance+ tires, such as Traction Protect Technology, is an advanced resin material with increased flexibility. This material enables better and easier conversion of braking force into handling, shortening the braking distance on wet and dry roads by up to 1,5 meters compared to the closest competitor in tests conducted by Auto Bild magazine1.

High durability, affordable price

Winter tires are not only safer, but also more durable than standard tires if used only during the winter months. High tread flexibility provides greater resistance to abrasion, while at the same zamIncreases durability and mileage at the same time. These tires are only used when the air temperature is low. zamIt also ensures that summer tires can be used for longer periods of time (usually between November and March). Don't forget to switch to summer tires when temperatures start to rise again.

Laurent Colantonio, Consumer Tires Technology Manager for Goodyear EMEA, said: “The key benefits and unique features of Goodyear's UltraGrip winter tire lineup provide stable and enhanced performance while driving safer at low temperatures.”