It sounds like a great idea – better grip in snow and ice. But do you really get your money’s worth out of winter tyres, or is it simply another way of selling you more tyres?

Winter tyres become effective below 7 degrees Celsius. Above that, the stickiness required to make them adhesive in poor conditions causes them to wear much faster. They cost up to double the price of a normal tyre, and are harder to source.

It does go below 7 degrees for about 3 months in the UK, but really the tyres are most useful when the ground is thick with snow or ice. Thankfully, the number of days when that’s the case are still fairly limited – even more so when you consider that most major roads tend to be well gritted.

Also – halving your stopping distance can make you more prone to rear impact accidents, as there’s a good chance the person following you doesn’t have winter tyres.