95% of car owners give winter tyres the cold shoulder
Cost has been identified as the biggest obstacle facing motorists wanting to switch to winter tyres in a new survey.
Only 4.5% of the 3,000 car owners surveyed had purchased or were intending to switch to winter tyres ahead of what is expected to be another harsh winter.
When asked to explain why they wouldn’t be switching, four in ten respondents (41%) claimed they couldn’t afford them while 28% reckoned that weather predictions had been exaggerated and that switching wouldn’t be worthwhile.
There were puzzled responses from 16% who didn’t even know what winter tyres are or why they’d need them.
“Winter tyres are an investment in safety,” said Craig Mailey, Marketing Director of Manheim Auctions.
“They will help to keep you on the move and on the road, reduce the risk of accidents and can be used over several winters.
“The fact that 16% don’t really know what winter tyres are suggests that calling them cold weather tyres would be more helpful.”
Time is right
Rather than switch to winter tyres, 92% claimed they instead alter their driving to counter the snow’s effects.
“The time is right for drivers to start thinking about changing from their standard tyres to winter tyres,” said Lee Berrell, Aftersales Manager for Volvo Car UK.
“As we’ve experienced over the last few years, there is strong demand for these tyres and it is growing every year.”
Volvo is offering free Winter Safety Inspections to provide peace of mind for drivers in cold conditions and winter tyres have been backed by everyone from the SMMT to TyreSafe and a number of manufacturers.
FleetDirectory’s Alisdair Suttie highlighted the effectiveness of winter tyres in a recent Fleet Voice feature and emerged with resounding support for their claims.
He wrote: “More than 98% of UK drivers are travelling in winter conditions with barely enough grip to stay on the road, never mind deal with an emergency situation.
“One argument against winter tyres for business drivers is the added expense of a second set of tyres and the storage of the unused summer tyres. It’s a valid point, but one some fleet managers have been willing to tackle. Storing tyres can be achieved by doing a deal with the company’s tyre supplier or finding space in company premises.”
Click here to read the rest of Alisdair’s piece.
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