Thank you for your enquiry about Michelin Cold Weather Tyres.

We recommend that the appropriate tyre is used for the driving conditions, i.e. normally this would be Cold Weather tyres though the winter months and standard tyres (often called "summer" tyres in other European countries) through the rest of the year.

However, if necessary, it is possible, safe and legal to use Cold Weather tyres throughout the year.

However, there can be some disadvantages of using Cold Weather tyres through the summer months, such as:

- Dry braking: Cold Weather tyres may have a longer stopping distance than the equivalent standard tyres in dry conditions.

- The general level of handling and steering is not normally quite as precise as it would be with the equivalent standard tyre range.

- If you are using the Cold Weather tyres throughout the summer months, the tyres will wear and the remaining tread depth will be reduced when it comes to the next winter period. Therefore their effectiveness in winter conditions, such as snow, slush and rain, will be diminished compared to what it might have been had the Cold Weather tyres been removed for the summer months and then refitted for winter.

The cold weather tyre that Michelin manufacture is the Alpin range. These tyres are specially designed for use on wintry roads and in temperatures lower than 7ºC, a cold weather tyre provides reduced braking distanced in comparison with a summer tyre, not only on snow and ice, but also on wet surfaces.

We would advise fitting cold weather tyres from the end of September through to the the end of March.

Should you require any further assistance please contact us on 0845 366 1590 (UK & NI) or 0044 (0) 1782 401590 (ROI), quoting the reference number above.