Winter tires in plus temperatures

Winter tires in plus temperatures

“Regardless of the situational winter tire requirement, the tires should be changed as soon as the outside temperature falls below seven degrees,” advises Josef Nußbaumer, chairman of the Salzburg state vehicle trade committee. The special rubber compound allows winter tires to adhere better to the asphalt than summer tires, even on dry roads, at low temperatures. “Good grip is even more important on wet surfaces,” says Michael Peschek, tire expert at the Salzburg State Vehicle Trade Committee.

The first priority should be checking the tread depth. “If the tire has a tread depth of less than 4 millimeters, it is no longer considered a winter tire in Austria and liability insurance can be canceled in the event of an accident,” says Peschek. You should also be careful when buying used tires or ordering them online. While damage can easily be overlooked with used tires, online offers do not indicate the age of the tires. "Only from a specialist dealer can you be sure that you will receive good advice and a quality product," the tire expert is convinced and adds: "Many drivers are thinking about switching to all-season tires. In principle, this type of tire is okay, but not suitable for driving in the mountains." Incidentally, all-season tires, also known as all-weather tires, only fulfill the winter tire requirement if they have an M+S label.