Just one in five UK motorists think it is important to swap their cars onto winter tyres.

New independent research by Audi UK has revealed that the lack of legal requirements and the added costs act as a disincentive. Another issue. has been the milder winters we have endured in recent years.

European success

The use of winter tyres is mandatory during the winter months in many countries and regions throughout Europe. However, in the UK there is no legal requirement to fit them.

Research has revealed 61% of the UK drivers confirmed that they had no plans to switch to winter tyres this year.

For 44% of survey respondents, the absence of legal obligation was enough to convince them to pass up the added safety and protection winter tyres offer. The impact on running costs of buying and maintaining an additional set of tyres was the spanner in the works for 40% of respondents. Additionally, the potential difficulties involved in storing the wheels and/or tyres out-of-season was the main impediment for 22% of participants.

Confidence in the cold

A popular misconception that has also traditionally inhibited the uptake of cold weather tyres. In the UK the weather is very rarely ‘wintry’ enough to bring their benefits to the fore.

In reality, the performance of ‘conventional’ tyres can be noticeably impaired even at temperatures that are regularly recorded during a UK winter. The relatively hard rubber compound of tyres softens to enhance grip as their temperature increases during usage. But at temperatures below 7°C, the tyres cannot absorb sufficient heat and grip is diminished, which also impacts braking effectiveness.

Softer and safer

Thanks to their special rubber compound, winter tyres offer maximum grip during wet, icy and snowy road conditions – greatly improving stopping distances, compared with conventional tyres, and maximising driving safety.

The price of winter tyres varies, dependent on various factors, such as model, wheel-size, mileage and driving style. What’s more, in the long-term, ‘conventional’ tyres will last longer as a result of swapping to winter tyres for part of the year.

Despite this, 80% of UK drivers give winter tyres the cold shoulder.