Kumho Address the Question: Who in the UK Needs Winter Tyres?

Kumho Tyres has been an established supplier of winter tyres for the Scandinavian and Central European markets and therefore has a wide range of treads to cope with all the varieties of adverse weather conditions that characterise the season in these parts of the world. For these markets, the weather is the overbearing reason for the comparative strength of the cold weather tyre market; they are the traditional stronghold for companies marketing products capable of dealing with the icy climate.

However, the UK – with its expanding, though still essentially low-key winter market – represents something of a challenge, even to an experienced marketer of the product such as Kumho. The company addresses this issue by immediately posing the question: Who needs cold weather tyres in the UK?

Acknowledging first the generally milder turn recent UK winters have taken, Kumho points towards the fact that the conditions can be very changeable. Winters in the UK are notoriously unpredictable; even if the overall figures seem to reveal an upturn in temperatures, there is always the danger that the weather could turn nasty, quickly. Therefore, when we become accustomed to the mild winter, it is important not to allow complacency to jeopardise our safety on the roads. For that very reason, Kumho states, motorists who need to be sure of travelling during the colder months, whatever the weather, should be encouraged to make the change from standard ‘summer’ rubber. After all, cold weather tyres – the company uses this phrase to replace the somewhat more specialised-sounding winter tyres for the UK market – will still work in milder conditions.

As the ambient temperature drops below 7 deg C, the traction and braking performance of summer tyres fall away exponentially. This is due to the tread compound nearing what is known as the ‘glass transition’ temperature; the point at which the rubber turns from a state of pliable liquid to a non-deformable solid. Cold weather tyres employ a tread compound with a much lower ‘glass transition’ temperature, ensuring a far higher level of grip in such conditions.

Kumho cold weather tyres are available from the company’s national distributor, Micheldever Tyre Services. The company provides patterns for a range of applications, but looking to the UK market, those of highest relevance include: the KW7400 – a studless winter tyre with special silica compound for excellent traction on ice and snow for smaller cars on 13-15” rims; the KW17 – a studless, asymmetrical, high-performance winter tyre with high-density lateral sipes for improved snow traction and a central rib for maximum high speed stability and traction – suitable for small to mid-range cars with 13-18” rims, including run flat sizes for BMWs; and the KC11 – its toothed edge block pattern improves snow traction for light commercial vehicles, the tyre also features a “V” groove for improved water drainage capability.

All three tyres feature the M+S marking and snowflake symbol, for peace of mind in all potential UK winter conditions.