Estonian drivers prefer studded tires

According to a study by If Kindlustus, this winter 62% of Estonian drivers will drive studded tires, 37% will drive all-season tires, and 1% of drivers do not prefer either one. The transition to winter tires in Estonia is mandatory from 1 December.

The poll showed that studded tires are more popular among women - 69% of female drivers use studded tires. Among men, the corresponding figure is 58%.

According to the head of the If Kindlustus expert group, Marion Meyus, differences in preferences given to certain tires are also noted by region.

“We saw that studded tires are very popular in Central Estonia and in many rural areas, where they are used by 83% and 75% of drivers respectively. In Northern Estonia, this figure is 57%, and in large cities - even 52%, which is quite understandable, since, for example, a driver traveling mainly in Tallinn may not need studded tires at all, as a result of which he may prefer low-noise all-season tires. tires. Also understandable are the reasons why studded tires are more popular in rural areas, where drivers are more likely to encounter difficult road conditions in winter, ”explained Mayus.

The study also revealed another regional difference, which is that the oldest winter tires are used in Eastern Estonia, where 17% of them have been used for 5 years or more, and 3% of drivers use winter tires of 7 years of age or older. In other regions of Estonia, the corresponding figures are 3-8 and 0-1%.

“When it comes to winter tires, it is very important to check not only the tread depth, but also the age of the tires. The rubber of five-year tires has a reduced elasticity, which is important at low temperatures. Since tires are the most important part of a car - the only one that is in constant contact with the road surface - their importance becomes difficult to overestimate. In addition, all tires in a vehicle must have the same wear rate. In this case, the car will behave logically on a slippery road and there will be fewer unpleasant surprises, ”Meyus said.

86% of Estonian drivers buy new winter tires, 9% are used and 5% have no preferences. Therefore, buyers of used tires should consider not only the tread depth, but also the year the tire was manufactured.

The poll showed that Estonian drivers use completely different tires in winter than their southern neighbors. While 62% of Estonian drivers use studded tires, for Latvian drivers this figure was 15%, and for Lithuanian drivers - 8%.

Estonian drivers also use more expensive and larger tires than their neighbors. 24% of Estonian drivers pay less than 60 euros for a winter tire, while in Latvia and Lithuania this figure is 38% and 43%, respectively. In Estonia, unlike its neighbors, they prefer tires that cost from 60 to 120 euros apiece. While about half of our drivers use tires with a diameter of at least 17 inches, our southern neighbors have only a third of the tires used. In addition, the tire manufacturer's brand and the various tests carried out with them are important for Estonian drivers, while the southern neighbors do not pay so much attention to this.

In Estonia, only 9% of drivers store old unusable tires in the garage, the rest leave them in a car service or take them to a recycling center. In Latvia, 17% of respondents keep their old tires, and in Lithuania - 11%. In addition, about 4% of Latvian and Lithuanian drivers admitted leaving their tires somewhere else, for example, next to public waste bins.

A little over 1000 people from each country took part in the research carried out by If Kindlustus in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.