Winter Driving Conditions ‘Begin at 7’, Reminds Kwik-Fit

Research from Kwik-Fit notes that, although the weather outside still seems relatively mild, millions of rush hour drivers are already facing winter conditions on their morning commute. This is because, the fast-fitter elaborates, when it comes to winter driving the key figure motorists should bear in mind is not freezing point; it is a much less chilly 7°C. It is at this temperature when the performance of summer tyres deteriorates and the shorter braking distance offered by winter tyres comes into its own. Comparative tests between summer and winter tyres (carried out by Continental) show that winter tyres has stop a car 4.8 metres before summer tyres on a wet road, and when ice becomes a factor this stopping distance extends to 11 metres.

Drawing upon Met Office statistics, Kwik-Fit reports that this winter marker has been reached at the UK peak driving time between 8.00–9.00am on 23 out of the last 25 days.  In fact, over that period, 69 out of 76 Met Office stations have recorded morning rush hour temperatures as low as 3°C. This is despite maximum daytime temperatures remaining above 15°C in some parts of the UK.

“When checking the weather forecast, maximum daytime temperatures can lull motorists into a false sense of security,” said Kwik-Fit chief executive Ian Fraser. “It is the temperature at rush hour which should be of most interest to drivers, as there are twice as many cars on the road between 8 and 9am as between 1 and 2pm. This is why we are advising drivers to mind the gap between the temperature at rush hour and the maximum temperature during the day.  Most drivers will find they are driving in conditions below 7°C for far longer than they imagine.”

 The fast fit network comments that it stocks a wide range of winter tyres and operates an additional service for customers wishing to switch tyres for the cold season: Kwik-Fit has introduced a ‘tyre hotel’ for storing customers’ summer tyres over the winter months until they are once again needed next spring.