Research shows that modern winter tyres provide significant safety advantages in cold and damp weather

“Winter tyres are manufactured using rubber compounds specifically designed for the cold weather”

With the winter months now upon us, the Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA) is advising motorists to check the condition and tread depth of their tyres in order to make sure they are equipped to face the rigours of winter driving conditions. At the same time, the Association is promoting the safety benefits of switching over to retreaded winter tyres in order to deal with the cold and wet conditions typically experienced during the British winter. Sheila Ikin, Director of RMA explains: “In many European countries it is considered normal for drivers to fit winter tyres to their vehicles during the Autumn and to switch back to summer tyres during the Spring. This has traditionally not been the case in the UK because there is a popular misconception that winter tyres only provide a benefit in snow and ice.

In fact, research has shown that modern winter tyres also provide significant safety advantages in cold and damp weather conditions. ”In fact, road traffic statistics show that the most dangerous driving conditions are in wet conditions between 1 and 7oC, typical conditions experienced during a British winter. This is partly because drivers tend to alter their driving styles when faced with snow or ice, but do not drive significantly differently in the wet. Another factor, though, is that summer tyres lose some of their efficiency at lower temperatures. Winter tyres, however, are manufactured using rubber compounds specifically designed for the cold weather, offering distinct safety advantages in the months between October and April.

Furthermore, on the occasions when snow and ice are on the ground, winter tyres have the tread patterns to cope, thereby significantly reducing the possibility of getting stranded in adverse weather conditions. Tread depth also becomes increasingly important in the cold and the wet and research shows that driving safety decreases substantially on wet surfaces when tread depth gets below 3mm. Roadside tyre checks carried out by the tyre industry have shown that many drivers will prefer to drive until their tyres reach the legal limit of 1.6mm. However, the RMA argues that this could be putting yourself at serious risk of an accident, particularly in the winter. Says Sheila Ikin: “We understand the cost considerations that people apply when purchasing tyres, but would argue that driving in winter conditions on worn tyres is a false economy as well as being highly dangerous. “However, it is not necessary to pay extra for safety.

Quality British-manufactured retreaded winter tyres offer significant cost savings when compared with new winter tyres. “The money saved in purchasing a set of retreaded winter tyres will more than compensate for replacing your tyres before they are worn completely down to the legal limit and will assure that you drive safely during the winter months. ”As well as providing substantial economic and safety benefits for drivers, retreaded tyres are also highly environmentally friendly. Indeed, a Technical Report recently produced by the Environment Agency has provided a promotional boost to the retreading industry by rating retreading as the most environmentally friendly method of processing used tyres. The report, entitled “Life Cycle Assessment of the Management Options for Waste Tyres” considered the management of used car tyres in the UK, the aim being to compare the different waste management options for car tyres and to evaluate the environmental advantages and disadvantages of each option. In addition to retreading, systems studied in the report were export for re-use, re-use in sea defences and drainage applications, recycling to rubber crumb, combustion in cement kilns, pyrolysis, gasification and microwave technology.

The report studied the effects of the various disposal systems on eight environmental impact categories, these being:

• • Abiotic depletion potential (the extraction of non-renewable reserves, particularly minerals and fossil fuels)
• • Acidification potential (contribution to acid deposition on to soil and into water)
• • Aquatic/terrestrial ecotoxicity (contribution to health effects in flora and fauna)
• • Global warming potential
• • Human toxicity (contribution to health effects in humans)
• • Eutrophication (contribution to reduction of oxygen concentration in water and soil)
• • Ozone depletion potential
• • Photochemical oxidant creation potential (contribution to formation of atmospheric aerosol particles forming a petrochemical smog)

Retreading achieved the best scores in six out of the eight categories. Results showed that retreading has the least environmental impact of all the tyre disposal systems studied in terms of abiotic depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, eutrophication and aquatic/terrestrial ecotoxicity, as well as being the equal best option together with cement kilns in the acidification category. In addition to confirming the environmentally-friendly nature of retreads, the report also notes the fact that retreads now have to be approved to ECE regulations 108 and 109, thereby demonstrating the same safety standards as new tyres.

“Driving in winter conditions on worn tyres is a false economy”

As a result, the report draws the conclusion that this requirement would ensure that the performance of retreads is the same as new tyres. In order to promote the performance, economic and environmental benefits of retread tyres better, the RMA recently introduced its Green Dealer Scheme, which helps green consumers who wish to follow a sustainable purchasing policy when buying tyres for their vehicle to locate their nearest retread stockist. 190 car tyre retailers from across the country have already joined the network with the expectation that membership will raise further within the coming months. In addition, three specialist mail order companies have joined the scheme meaning that drivers will always be able to source a retread, even if they do not have a local stockist. RMA Director Sheila Ikin comments: “Our aim with the Green Dealer Scheme is to substantially increase the awareness of the ecological value of retreaded tyres among green consumers. “We believe that retreads should be considered as the best practical environmental option for tyre recycling.

Unlike other forms of tyre recycling or disposal, retreading does not simply defer the eventual disposal of old tyres, but actively contributes towards reducing the amount of used tyres hence saving valuable natural resources. “Every retread produced means one less new tyre, thereby minimising the number of new tyres produced annually, extending the life of the original product and saving substantially on resources such as oil – a passenger retread requires 4.5 gallons less oil than a new tyre. ”


To find your nearest Green Dealer, visit: www.greentyres.com or contact the RMA on: Tel: 01782 417777.