Why tread depth matters more when it rains

Tyres are only as good as their overall condition and their tread depth. The tread on the tyres is where all the magic happens. This is where years of testing and development has gone into. There is a lot of development on optimal rubber compound and carcass design, but the tread design gives the tyres their properties when you drive in terms of grip and control.

When you buy new tyres, you have depending on tyres, winter tyres will have 9-10 mm depth, and summer tyres will have 7-8 mm. When you reach 4 mm, you will start losing some of the key properties, and you should change the tyres to a new set. Safety when driving is correlated to the grip you will have so that you can have a short braking distance to avoid accidents, that you will have excellent grip on dry and wet tarmac so that you will be able to stay on the road while cornering. With a bad grip, you can easily lose control and start skidding.

Also, the tread depth is critical for avoiding aquaplaning, as the more depth the tyres have, the more volume of water can be stored in the tread as the tyre remains in contact with the road surface. The lower tread depth you have, the more challenge is on pushing away the water to the sides through the tread to avoid that you lose contact. This is why the tread depth is so critical, as the risk of aquaplaning is directly correlated to the diminishing tread depth.

So if you have low tread depth on your summer tyres, it is worth purchasing a new set now as the autumn is here so that you are prepared to meet the challenging weather that comes with autumn. Suppose you try to drive during the autumn with tyres that are worn out, the chance for accidents increases. You will have a longer braking distance during the wet weather and an increased chance for aquaplaning. So by investing already now in a new set of tyres, you both have a safer drive during the autumn, and you can start next year with a new set of tyres. Waiting with purchasing new tyres until you change to winter tyres and then getting new tyres next year is not a wise decision.

When you have premium tyres, then the tread depth should last longer as they tend to have lower rolling resistance so that their wear is lower. It also has an impact on the fuel consumption of your vehicle. In a similar way, the tyre pressure will have an impact. If you have low tyre pressure, the rolling resistance will also increase. The performance is also decreased, while the fuel consumption is increased. Since it is relatively easy to check the tyre pressure when you stop for fuel and see how important it is to have the correct pressure, you might now check the pressure in the tyres more often.

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