How do winter tyres work and how do I identify them?

How winter tyres operate and how they can be identified

How they operate

Winter tyres can be optimally used in cold weather due to three major elements:

• Softer rubber compound - Easy to bend below 7°C which provides better grip as opposed to summer tyres, whose compound hardens and loses traction.
• Deeper tread grooves - Assists tyres in better snow clearance, slush, and allows standing water to be removed from under the tyre.
• Sipes - Thousands of minute divisions in the tread blocks that further increase gripping edges to help in the development of both ice and compacted snow grip.

How to identify them

When examining the side walls, consider the following inscriptions.

• M+S (Mud and Snow) - A designation found on winter and all season tyres that describes a tread design. While they may be suitable for snow and mud, no specific performance examinations have been conducted.
• 3PMSF (Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol) - This is a symbol that indicates a higher set of standards. Meaning that the tyre was able to pass a set of performance examinations. This symbol is what is important for winter performance.

If you find the snowflake symbol encased in a mountain outline on the sidewall, you have a true winter-rated tyre.