Winter tires have the following characteristics:

• Soft and elastic rubber compound.
• Cold resistant.
• Special tread grooves.
• Prevents aquaplaning.
• Better grip at low temperatures.

Winter tyres are not compulsory in the UK, but highly recommended. Alternatively, you can fit all season tyres.

As soon as the temperature drops below seven degrees Celsius, it makes sense to change from summer to winter tyres.

Remember that winter tyres are only fully effective after a distance of about 300 kilometres.

If the tread depth of your winter tyres is less than four millimetres, they lose their traction properties and you should change them. German standards allow a tread depth of no less than 1.6 millimetres for use. Nevertheless, we advise you not to wait so long to change your tyres. At such a low tread depth, safety on slippery roads is no longer guaranteed.

An all-season tyre tries to achieve a reasonable performance range in as many conditions as possible. Accordingly, it is never as good as a summer tire in the summer and not as safe as a winter tire in the winter.

We don't advise you to use all-season tyres. However, it can be useful for users of a small car. Provided you mainly cover distances in the city. But again, be especially careful on icy and snowy roads.

The easiest way to determine your winter tyre size is to read the marking on the tyre. You can also find the permitted tyre size in your vehicle registration document and CoC paper (CoC = Certificate of Conformity).

Explanation of the letter and number combination 225/55 R16 95H:

• 225 millimetres total width of the tyre in unloaded condition.
• Ratio between tyre width and height is 55%.
• Radial tyres, also called belted tyres.
• 16 inch diameter.
• Load index, which describes the load capacity of a single tyre, is 95 - this corresponds to 690 kilograms.

If you see a snow chain symbol, the so-called traffic sign 268 (round, symbol of a tyre with snow chains on a blue background), you must put on snow chains. If you fail to do so despite the warning, you risk a fine. This sign also applies to vehicles with four-wheel drive.

Many people think that aluminium rims only serve a visual purpose. However, winter tyre manufacturers are working on solutions so that they are in no way inferior to steel rims. In the meantime, aluminium rims are powder-coated, which makes the aluminium less vulnerable to snow, slush, grit and road salt. But you should still take care of them.

Although steel rims are naturally more robust, they also require care. Wipe them with a damp cloth every now and then to prolong the life of your rims.

Complete wheels for winter are a combination of tyres and rims. They have the advantage that you can mount them without many difficulties and tools.