Changing your tires: tips to help you start the summer safely

Not got around to changing your tires in the past few weeks? It's high time you did it now, because summer tires are safer and more economical when temperatures rise. Here are a few tips that you should bear in mind.

Tips for your tire change appointment

• Make the appointment with your garage by phone, e-mail or another digital channel (e.g. Skype or Messenger).
  
• A contactless handover makes sense in view of the current situation. Lots of garages allow you to drop off your car key or place it in a special safe and then collect it again with a code.
• If you don't choose a contactless handover, remember to observe social distancing and keep two meters apart.
• Are your summer tires still legal? Ask your garage about this when you book your appointment. The law requires a minimum tread depth of 1.6 millimeters, but AXA Accident Research and Prevention recommends replacing summer tires when the tread is worn down to 3 millimeters.
  

Why should you change from winter to summer tires?

1. A test conducted by AXA's accident researchers showed that winter tires have a longer braking distance than summer tires: 51 meters versus 41 meters at 100 km/h. When the car with summer tires had already stopped, the one with winter tires was still traveling at 42 km/h.
2. Winter tires wear out faster in the summer due to the way the higher temperatures affect the rubber compound.
3. According to information from manufacturers, a vehicle with winter tires uses more fuel in warmer temperatures as a result of higher rolling resistance.