03/24/2011

• Rule of thumb "From October to Easter" still applies
• Book your vehicle in early with your tyre dealer - Industry expects "high demand" for summer tyres

Hannover, 24 March 2011. A few sunny days here and there shouldn't fool you to switching over to summer tyres. Minus temperatures in which summer tyres come up against their road grip limit can still be a threat until after Easter. Therefore sector experts strongly advise motorists both to wait until after Easter before switching over their winter tyres and to start booking their vehicles in with dealers and workshops now.

Frank Jung, responsible for sales of Continental passenger car tyres in Germany strongly advises impatient motorists against the hasty switch to summer tyres. "Winter tyres should absolutely remain on the vehicle until Easter" he warns and refers to the capricious nature of the weather in spring. "Essentially everything is possible - including snow-covered roads in the plains". Even warm days with temperatures of more than ten degrees should not mislead you into sending your winter tyres into their summer hibernation. German motorists are also obliged by the legislators through relevant traffic legislation to ensure that their vehicles are equipped with the correct winter weather tyre configurations.

Nevertheless, Jung recommends all car drivers to make an early appointment for the fitting. "We are expecting huge demand for summer tyres", he explained. As the largest European tyre manufacturer, Continental is well prepared. Fitting bookings in the tyre trade are however limited and "allocated on a first come first served basis".

Jung advises those motorists who find out during their visit to the workshop that their winter tyres have less than four millimetres of tread, to order their appropriate tyres for next autumn now. "Older tyres with a tread level below this limit will not have sufficient road grip to cope safely with the coming winter," he says. Therefore, it is advisable to order new winter tyres as early as possible – even if the winter season is still more than six months away.