"Dave Head" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:55:23 +0100, Paul {Hamilton Rooney} >
> wrote:
>
>>I have no experience of driving on winter tyres or using snow chains. I'm
>>going to be driving for some months in continental Europe and I'm
>>wondering
>>which option to go for. If I opt for winter tyres, do I really need to
>>change them back again when spring comes? What will be the effect if I
>>leave them on all year?
>>
>>Thanks.
>
> I keep "mud and snow" tires on my Jeep year-round. Works fine. Side
> effects
> are that they are not as good at gripping the road as some more
> performance
> oriented tires made for more ordinary conditions. Skidding is more likely
> to
> happen. Don't try to challenge corners with high speeds with these kinds
> of
> tires.
>
> Dave Head

Yeah, what Dave Head said is absolutely correct. Mud and snow tires are
often called all season, and often referred to as "NO SEASON" tires. They
don't grip well in summer or winter, but they offer SOME traction, and you
might get by OK with them, for year-round use.

I think what the OP was asking about was dedicated snow tires. These are a
different animal. If you drive on them in spring/summer/early fall, the
ride will be rough, the fuel economy will be terrible. But most
importantly, the tires will wear extremely fast. Snow tires tend to use
softer rubber compounds that wear quickly in summer driving conditions.
There's nothing really "wrong" with leaving them on year-round (unless they
are studded, because some areas prohibit studs completely, or prohibit studs
when it's not winter). But, you'd be lucky to get one good year out of a
brand new set of winter tires, if you didn't swap them out for all-season
tires or summer tires during the warmer seasons. -Dave