Not sure where to fit your winter tyres — all four wheels or just two? This guide explains the safest and most effective way to fit winter tyres, based on your vehicle’s drive type and UK conditions. Learn how to stay safe and compliant when temperatures drop, and when winter tyres really make a difference.
Winter tyres are part of the seasonal array of tyres, designed to specifically suit and compliment driving in winter conditions. They tend to be more flexible in terms of their rubber compound so as to remain malleable even in cold weather, and have excellent traction and grip built into the tread.
Of course, in the UK, winter tyres are not always necessary. In most cases, all season tyres are more than sufficient when navigating the UK roads – though there may be a call for winter tyres in particularly northern and hilly or remote environments.
If you are someone who chooses to invest in winter tyres, the first thing to know is that with winter tyres, you also need to invest in summer tyres. Winter tyres are not designed to be used all year round and shouldn’t be left on your vehicle after the climate increases above a certain temperature.
The same is true across other parts of Europe, although the need for winter tyres is much more prolific.
Where Do You Need Winter Tyres?
Different countries have different regulations when it comes to the use of winter tyres, or indeed snow chains which can be fitted to regular tyres to improve their traction and stability. Even within a single country, the guidance and requirements will differ from one area to the next, to ensure optimum safety and consistent traffic movement on the roads.
In many areas that are hit with annual snow, fitting winter tyres or snow chains is a legal requirement. This will depend on snowfall and on road condition, with advice being to check the local regulations before travelling to specific parts of Europe.
But one thing that many drivers aren’t sure about is how many winter tyres they need to fit, and where on the vehicle they need them.
Do You Need Winter Tyres in All Four Points?
In the UK specifically, it is recommended that if you are going to fit winter tyres, you should ideally fit all four tyres. If you can’t do this however, you can fit them in pairs. That means that you can either change all four tyres to winter ones or fit two winter tyres to the front or rear axle.
The important thing to note here is that you should never mix and match different tyre types on the same axle. Doing this will create an imbalance in the vehicle, with the two sides responding differently to road conditions, to braking, accelerating, and handling.
So, if you are only going to fit two winter tyres, make sure you fit them to both of the front tyres, or both of the rear tyres – depending on the drive type of your vehicle.
