What you need to know when selecting new tires

These offer the ultimate grip on ice and snow. They use soft rubber tread compounds, and are heavily grooved and siped to give maximum edge bite and carry away water and slush to prevent planing. Studs increase traction on frozen surfaces.

These use the same optimized rubber compounds and tread designs as the studded Nordic tire. Eliminating the studs compromises ice and snow grip slightly, but these are the best choice in areas with uneven winter conditions, or where studs aren’t allowed.

These carry the snowflake symbol, and offer superior cold-weather performance in comparison with the all-season tires that are used by most drivers. Can be driven year-round, but cold-weather performance is inferior to dedicated winter tires. Recommended for drivers who are unwilling to change tires in spring and fall. All-weather tires use harder rubber compounds than true Nordic tires, but are softer than all-seasons. Tread patterns are designed to provide straight-line stability and carry away slush and water.

These are the most common tires on the market, and are supplied as standard equipment on many vehicles. Their rubber compounds are harder than those in winter tires. This increase tire life, but winter performance is markedly inferior to Nordic tires – stopping distances may increase by as much as 100 per cent.

Dedicated summer tires offer optimum performance on warm pavement.