Test exposes braking and traction limits of all-season tyres

All-season tyres struggled to stop before an obstacle in a test reported by ORF at the ÖAMTC driving safety centre in Teesdorf, Lower Austria. A car fitted with winter tyres stopped in time, while an otherwise identical car on all-season tyres hit a water wall.

Both cars accelerated to 60 km/h before braking. The car with all-season tyres struck the obstacle at about 30 km/h. “It was really frustrating to sit in the car, press the brake pedal as hard as possible and still make contact with the water wall,” said Fritz Schukert, the centre’s chief instructor. He said the impact speed was close to the point at which airbags would deploy, and that the financial damage could be substantial.

The test also found differences when starting on slippery ground: the all-season tyres took longer to grip. Experts said tyre choice should reflect where and how a car is used, including whether drivers can leave it at home when roads are covered in snow.

All-season tyres may also wear more quickly and provide less grip in high summer temperatures than summer tyres. Their advantage is that drivers avoid changing tyres twice a year. Austria’s winter tyre requirement has recently come into effect again.