Mild weather is causing drivers to shy away from fitting winter tyres despite research showing that winter tyres are more effective in cold weather than summer tyres.

Research by Falken tyres shows drivers are not swapping to winter tyres in the same numbers as in recent years in the UK because of the mild weather we have experienced lately.

Some 20% of drivers questioned also said they would not switch to winter tyres at all because the UK’s climate is not cold enough to justify the cost of a second set of tyres. A further 19% of drivers said they would refuse to change simply because swapping the tyres is a hassle.

Winter tyres offer more grip and safer braking at temperatures below 7-degrees Centigrade and remain effective up to temperatures of 20-degrees Centigrade.

Falken’s UK director Matt Smith said: ‘The results surprised us, particularly the belief that the UK climate was sufficiently mild enough not to need cold weather tyres. Weather forecasts predict a very cold winter and consumers seem to have forgotten the conditions that caused travel disruption from just three or four years ago.’

Smith offered a solution to the cost of having summer and winter tyres and said: ‘Switching to an all-season tyre could well be the solution for Britain’s drivers unwilling to commit to pure winter tyres. With many sizes on offer, it is often possible to find a tyre that fits the standard rims, eliminating the cost and hassle of having an extra set, solving another issue raised in the survey.’