With a far greater risk of road accidents in winter than in summer, Continental Tyres is urging drivers to think twice and fit specialist cold weather tyres when temperatures drop below 7°C.

Forecasters have warned that Britain is heading for one of the coldest winters in recent memory, with regular cold fronts sweeping across the UK in November and December. By the time the cold weather really kicks in, the maximum temperatures in London will be just 6°C and 4°C or 5°C in the North, around two degrees below average. Further prolonged bitter spells are expected to follow in the New Year. It is at winter temperatures like these that motorists should fit cold weather tyres to their cars.

The value of cold weather tyres should not be underestimated. During the colder winter months they provide higher levels of safety and considerably shorter stopping distances on both wet and dry roads. For example, on ice, a car fitted with cold weather tyres will stop 11 metres shorter than on conventional tyres, 8 metres shorter in snow, and 5 metres shorter on cold, wet roads.

Cold weather tyres also offer better mileage performance than conventional tyres, whose wear can increase by as much as 20% when used during the winter months.

Whilst many motorists take precautions for winter driving by buying an ice scraper and de-icer, it seems that tyres are often overlooked.

Roger Sanders, Safety Spokesperson at Continental, said: "Tyres are a car's only link to the road and need to be well maintained to ensure road safety. Developments in tyre technology mean that we can offer specialist tyres to cater for different seasonal conditions. Motorists who switch to cold weather tyres can not only increase safety levels but also increase mileage performance and as such, save money in the long run."

The compounds used in cold weather tyres contain a higher proportion of natural rubber which, when coupled with use of silica technology, minimises the hardening effect experienced by all conventional tyres at low temperatures. This allows the tyre to key into the road surface much more effectively and results in much greater levels of grip. Together with a highly developed tread pattern, this provides a combination no conventional tyre can match.

Continental is keen to encourage drivers to look out for their general tyre condition and recommend the following top tips to ensure safety:

• Every two weeks, check the pressure of your tyres when tyres are cold (pressure increases when they are warm)
• Check the tread depth of your tyres - the minimum legal UK tread depth is 1.6mm. However, for greater safety in wet weather it is recommended that tyres should be replaced when the tread depth reaches 3mm
• Check your tyres for damage: look out for any cuts, cracks or bulges, as these can lead to slow punctures and blowouts.
• Remember to check the pressure and tread depth of your spare tyre