At Driving Experience, we are recommending a simple swap which could save motorists thousands by the end of summer as well as dramatically improve road safety.
Indeed, swapping your car from winter to summer tyres could save the average family SUV owner around £10 per month in fuel over the summer, while increasing rolling resistance by 30% on a Hyundai Tucson 1.6TGDi N Line on the wrong tyres could offset those potential savings, resulting in a monthly fuel cost increase of £8.26 when driving 1,000 miles per month.
This is because winter tyres have been specifically engineered for use in damp, colder conditions meaning they are softer to give more grip, increasing the amount of energy needed to propel the car.
Furthermore, using winter tyres on warmer tarmac puts extra strain on the softer tyres causing them to wear down below the 1.6mm legal minimum limit quicker, which could significantly impact a vehicle's handling and stopping distances while increasing the risk of driving around on illegal tyres.
With nearly 5,000 collisions on the UK's roads over the past decade as a result of illegal, defective, or under inflated tyres, it's a serious offence for which you could receive three points on your licence and a fine of up to £2,500 per tyre, which could increase to a fine of £10,000 and 12 penalty points for a vehicle with four illegal tyres.
To avoid such problems, at Driving Experience, we are encouraging motorists to act now and check their car is using the correct tyres as we progress further towards summer.
Dan Jones, Operations Manager at DrivingExperience.com says: "Many people wouldn't even consider checking that their car is fitted with the correct tyres for the season, but it is so important."
"Using the wrong type of tyres in summer will not only hit your pocket hard, but it could increase your braking distance by as much as seven and a half metres which is quite worrying. I urge every driver to check if their car is using suitable rubber this summer."
"Checking your tyres couldn't be easier, most winter tyres will feature one of two symbols on the sidewall, either the M+S symbol or the three-peak mountain symbol with a snowflake icon. While most summer tyres will not have this symbol and may feature a sunshine icon. However, if you are having difficulties identifying which season your tyres were designed for, most manufacturers will be able to advise on their website."
To learn more about how to drive safely, visit our dedicated Driving Lessons page on the Driving Experience website today to browse and book from our complete selection of Driving Lessons packages, including our Safer Driving Course.
