Look for this icon when buying tyres to show which ones are summer tyres.
What are Summer Tyres?
Until the invention of the winter tyre, summer tyres were simply known as standard tyres and they are usually fitted to new vehicles by the manufacturer.
Summer tyres are specifically constructed to provide high performance and enhanced safety when temperatures reach a consistent average of 7ºc.
Designed using a specialist compound, summer tyres are soft and flexible and due to this they retain a tight grip to the surface of the road. This helps them to offer shorter braking distances and higher levels of performance than winter tyres in summer conditions.
The Benefits of Using Summer Tyres
Enhanced Wet Performance
Summer tyres offer an exceptional wet performance in warm conditions as they are constructed with an optimised tread pattern that can rapidly evacuate water from the tyre footprint, resulting in increased resistance against aquaplaning.
Built for Speed and Agility
Winter tyres have more grooves and sipes which enables them to offer traction on snow and ice. Without these features, summer tyres instead have a larger contact patch, meaning that more rubber retains contact with the surface of the road. This optimised contact patch results in increased levels of grip which enhances road holding and handling, providing better steering responsiveness and enabling an agile performance for dynamic drivers.
Short Braking Distances
Summer tyres also offer short braking distances in summer conditions thanks to their specialist compound which allows the tyre to stay supple. This enables the tyre to maintain traction and provide grip to the surface of the road, allowing the tyre to come to a safe and short stop.
When Should I Fit Summer Tyres?
If you switched to winter tyres when temperatures dropped, it is important that you remember to change back to summer or all season tyres when temperatures rise as winter tyres cannot offer the same levels of performance and safety you can expect from summer tyres in summer weather conditions.
It is recommended that you use summer tyres when temperatures reach a consistent average of 7ºc, which is usually between April and October in the UK.
To order new summer tyres online, simply search for your tyre size and select from our huge range from all the major brand manufacturers. You can then purchase online, or reserve and collect, and arrange a fitting at your local Dexel branch at a time to suit you.
For more information about summer tyres contact your local branch, where one of our specialists will be happy to offer further advice. Alternatively, you can learn more about winter or all season tyres here.