The Institute of Advanced Motorists runs through the benefits and disadvantages of winter tyres
Despite the recent arctic weather conditions, using winter or cold weather tyres in the UK is still something not done by many motorists. Winter tyres are manufactured from a different rubber compound which makes them more flexible at temperatures below 7 degrees, where as normal road tyres become more rigid as the temperature drops, reducing grip in snowy road conditions. The IAM recommend that those living in rural or high altitude areas would probably benefit from using snow tyres but the majority of motorists would have to weigh up the benefit against the cost of changing tyres every year.