Unless you’ve been on an advanced driving course, chances are that most of your winter driving knowledge has been picked up from tips and a bit of trial and error. There’s nothing wrong with this per se, but it might mean that you’ve been told one of a series of popular driving myths, many of which can actually put you in danger on the road.

Evo Magazine have written a brilliant online article debunking five of the most common myths, which you can read here.

If you don’t have time to read the whole thing, however, we’ve summarised the main points below:

1. Winter tyres aren’t only for snow. It may seem like too much effort to change your tyres, but winter tyres will actually serve you better in temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius – whether or not there’s snow. This is because their softer rubber gives you better purchase on cold roads, and the extra treads offer greater traction.

2. It’s not enough just to have a 4×4. A four wheel drive doesn’t make you immune to bad weather, and in fact they often have longer downhill braking distances in snow and ice because there’s far more weight of car to stop.

3. Under-inflating tyres do not help traction. In fact, this is far more likely to increase the risk of tyre damage. Always check the manufacturer’s guidelines before adjusting your tyres.

4. Illumination is not inspiration. In tricky winter conditions it can be tempting to go to full beam to get the greatest visibility, but you need to remember that this can be dangerous for other drivers – always switch to a lower light setting when a car is coming the other way.

In addition, fog lights should only ever be used when there is fog.

5. Always clear your car of snow. Although it’s tempting just to wipe the snow off the windows, always clear all the snow off the roof. If you don’t, you might find yourself without visibility after braking sharply!

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It’s easy to think that winter tyres are irrelevant for UK drivers, because of our largely temperate climate, but this is far from correct. Winter tyres are in fact the best possible preparation you can have for driving on snow, and can make your two-wheel drive more effective than a 4×4 with summer tyres.

As evo.co.uk explain, ‘winter tyres make snow-covered roads feel like wet roads do on summer tyres’.

To determine which winter tyres you should be using during this cold spell, the website has tested a number of options in a range of conditions including wet, dry and snow. In case you’re worried about the thoroughness of the tests, they were conducted both in chilly Sweden, close to the Arctic Circle, and in the Contidrom in northern Germany. Test cars were the front-drive VW Golf and VW Tiguan.

The winner, based on the tyre which received the highest overall score after both objective and subjective handling tests, was the Continental ContiWinterContact.

Evo.co.uk describe it as ‘responsive, stable and predictable in all scenarios’. In silver medal position was the Michelin Alpin A4, which the website reported handled excellently in the wet and ‘has no real weaknesses’.

Last on the podium was the Dunlop SP Winter Sport, which acquitted itself very well on the snow and in the wet but lost points for general on-road performance.

And the one to avoid? According to the website’s test of 9 tyres, the bottom-scoring contender was the Linglong Winter-Hero Radial 650, which was described as ‘floaty’ in snow, ‘treacherous’ in the wet and ‘sloppy’…in the dry. Lovely…

Do you need some winter tyres for your car? Call Diamond Alloys on 0845 370 8881 or email us direct and we can arrange and fit them for you.

To read the full, and engaging, review for yourself, visit here.

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At Diamond Alloys, we believe that understanding your customer’s needs is every bit as important as the finish we apply when repairing and refurbishing your alloy wheels.

Recent customer Luis explained that as a chauffeur it was essential to not only have immaculate looking wheels but also that he was kept on the road, and so our donor wheel service was the solution.

We removed the car’s alloys and fitted our donor wheels allowing Luis to get on with his job while we gave his alloys a brilliant new painted finish, fitting for any luxury saloon like Luis’ Mercedes.

Luis was delighted with the results, and we were delighted with his feedback, where he said:

“Just a quick email to thank you not only for doing a first class job on my alloys and making them look better than new, but also for going that extra mile keeping my car on the road whilst working on my wheels. 

Clearly unlike others you understood my requirements and the importance of my car being kept on the road as I am a chauffeur. Your temporary wheels that you put on my car was the perfect answer….

Once again thank you for a great job and consideration, but most important thanks for listening.

You chaps will always be highly recommended by me regardless. Thank you, Luis.”

If you need your car for your job, then either take advantage of our donor wheel service or use our loan car…..…simple!

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If you’ve had your alloys for a while, it can be easy to forget the initial excitement of first putting them on your car. The magic of alloys is the way they instantly transform your car’s aesthetic and make it completely your own, but after a time they become a familiar feature and can almost seem drab as a result.

The trick is to remember that your alloys are accessories, and that you can change them to suit your mood. New alloys can celebrate a new beginning, spruce up your old car or just make a fashion statement in the way that many modern celebrities use their alloys to do.

If you’re thinking about refreshing your alloys but need a little inspiration, check out the limited edition Aston Martin Vanquish cars that have been created to celebrate the marque’s 60th anniversary. These ‘Works 60th Anniversary’ models celebrate the evolution of Aston Martin design, and each one commemorates a particular decade in the marque’s history. As well as unique interior features carved from vintage pistons, the cars have striking yellow alloys that add the ‘wow’ factor to the otherwise understated Vanquish cars.

These special edition Astons really do exemplify the power of alloys. There are only six of these cars in the world, and their alloys will absolutely ensure you recognise them as they zoom past – wherever you may be.

They not only create an entirely, memorably different look for the cars, but they also give them an exclusive and desirable feel.

Although they are stunning, it’s important to remember that this effect isn’t something that only Aston Martin are able to create: by refurbishing your own alloys you too can ensure that your car is memorable, and that your unique personality is reflected in what you drive.

If you’re interested in exploring new alloy options then contact us today – with decades of experience in the alloy industry we can provide inspiration and guidance on getting the look you want. Eat your heart out, Aston Martin.

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