ABERDEEN’S CHILLY TEMPERATURES PROVE THE IMPORTANCE OF COLD WEATHER TYRES
15 May 2013
Residents in Aberdeen faced some of the coldest conditions in the country during winter 2012/13 as temperatures dropped below seven degrees Celsius during prime commuting hours on 159 days between 1 October 2012 and 31 March 2013.
The chilling statistics released by tyre expert ATS Euromaster in its annual Winter Weather Study cover temperatures in 10 major UK cities from 7am till 9am and 4pm till 6pm.
Of the 10 cities analysed, Aberdeen recorded the second highest number of days when commuter time temperatures dipped below seven degrees Celsius. Newcastle upon Tyne had the highest number with 162 days and London was the city with the fewest days, with 120, but still accounting for 66 per cent of the six month period.
The figures, commissioned annually by Birmingham-based ATS Euromaster from the Met Office, highlight the importance of private motorists and businesses fitting cold weather tyres to cars and vans, as the specialist tyres offer greatly improved grip, handling, cornering and reduced braking distances when the temperature drops below seven degrees Celsius, which it did in Aberdeen for 87 per cent of the six months measured.
Peter Fairlie, Group Sales Director at ATS Euromaster, says: “Aberdeen faced one of the coldest winters in recent years and driving conditions have been treacherous on roads covered in ice and snow. Locals only experienced 23 days out of the whole six month period where cold weather tyres wouldn’t have made driving safer whilst commuting.”
The detailed weather analysis also revealed that Aberdeen had 12 days of consecutive snow covering in January 2013.
ATS Euromaster began offering cold weather tyres in earnest from 2010, and take-up of the seasonal tyres has continued to grow. For winter 2012/2013 ATS Euromaster ordered in excess of £10 million worth of cold weather tyres – 60 per cent more than the previous year.
Fairlie says: “It’s now the exception, rather than the norm, to find a supermarket home delivery or ‘blue light’ fleet not fitting cold weather tyres to the majority of its vehicles. These organisations have led the market in becoming early-adopters, closely followed by other motorists who can’t afford for vehicles to be parked up during a harsh winter.
“Detailed temperature analysis like this also illustrates why cold weather tyres are beneficial for all drivers from early October through until late March, and not just when the roads are icy or covered in slush and snow.”
The direct benefits of cold weather tyres start as soon as the temperature drops below seven degrees Celsius, when the performance of regular ‘summer’ tyres deteriorates. As a result of the cold, the rubber becomes harder and less ‘elastic’. This means that the tyres suffer from reduced grip and braking ability, and offer a less comfortable ride.
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