Different driving conditions will fare better with different tires. When driving mainly on highways you don’t need any all-terrain tires, which are mainly aimed when you drive both on paved roads and also some off-road. Here you need premium tires with low rolling resistance to ensure low heat buildup, low fuel consumption and good safety properties.

City driving is generally characterized by more stop and go type of driving, where you have to stop at stop signs or red lights and then start again, so you might have some slippage wear. You generally don’t reach too high speeds and there is no long-term driving at high speeds. You might spend close to an hour in the car, but you are actually not travelling a very long distance. 

Highway driving is instead characterized by very few stops and a constant speed at a high speed. Here you really want to make sure that the tires have a very low rolling resistance so that you don’t have too high heat buildup in the tires. High heat buildup can cause tire explosions. You also need to make sure that the tires have the correct speed rating based on the speeds that you will reach and same goes for load index. Here you probably drive long distances every time you drive. 

For highway driving it is even more important to check that you have sufficient tire pressure, as low pressure can cause more heat buildup and wear out the tires more rapidly and cause the tires to explode. You will also have a higher fuel consumption due to the increased rolling resistance. Too high pressure will wear out the center of the tires more rapidly and you won’t have the optimal grip. The shock absorbers should also be in good conditions so that they are able to push the tires squarely against the road, so that you have the optimal grip and braking performance. 

Your all-season tires for the warm seasons should also have very good properties to prevent aquaplaning, as when you drive at high speeds the risk increases and the need for premium tires with good aquaplaning properties increases. You need to have tires that have good tread with polished grooves and sipes that can channel the water quickly and effectively to the sides while still being able to store water in the tread.  

During the winter season you have the option between winter tires and all-weather tires, where both will work well on highways as long as they have low rolling resistance. You always need to use winter approved tires when you drive in winter conditions, even if there is no snow on the highway, as you might end up in a snowstorm, or areas where there is slush present and you need tires that can prevent slushplaning. Also exiting the highway, you will hit spots where you have snow and there is essential that you have good winter tires to have the necessary grip for safe driving. 

For more information regarding good tires for highway driving, visit: https://www.nokiantires.com/

Bonnie Clemens