Wet weather tyres

Near about all cars sold in the market today are shod with all-weather road tyres. These tyres are designed to perform under varying road conditions and temperatures. The problem here lies with the saying, ‘master of all, jack of none.’ All-weather tyres are capable of performing in standard road conditions but in extreme road conditions you may have to consider installing specially designed tyres. 

During monsoons, water often collects in dips and crests on the road. When a vehicle drives over, it causes a tyre’s tread to be submerged in water. A normal tyre’s tread will not be able to disperse the water underneath leading to loss of contact with the road, causing the vehicle to spin out of control at high speeds. 

If you drive often in rainy conditions, the vehicle should be equipped with wet weather tyres. The tread on wet weather tyres have deep grooves designed to disperse the water from underneath the tyre to provide maximum grip under wet road conditions. These grooves are designed to generate heat when lateral forces are applied, allowing wet weather tyres to grip better. Wet weather tyres are made of softer rubber that allow the tyre to heat up quickly, which helps the tyres generate more traction. 

You may be wondering why wet weather tyres are not standard fitment on cars. Wet weather tyres offer superior grip that creates more friction under dry road conditions. This leads to reduced fuel economy and a vehicle’s ride and handling dynamics will be altered as suspension setups on standard cars are designed to work well with all-weather tyres.