Letting the air out of your tyres does nothing for grip in winter
IF you’ve been around for a few years, you’ve probably heard a few tales about how to reducing tyre pressures in winter gives better grip.
A big mistake, according to Steve Clarke at the Fuelcard People.
He said: “There is a long-held view that reducing tyre pressures will increase grip on awkward surfaces. This might be all right for driving over desert sand, but it is certainly not safe for winter driving.
“Some drivers believe that reducing tyre pressure increases traction. It simply is not true, unless temperatures fall far below anything we might expect in Britain. Instead, it just means that the tyre is sitting on a larger layer of melted ice or snow, increasing the likelihood of sliding, skidding and aquaplaning”.
He pointed out that, apart from the safety implications, correctly inflated tyres can cut fuel consumption by as much as three per cent.
Leave A Comment