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Wet weather and rainfall are one of the key factors that impacts your vehicle’s braking distance – meaning during spells of poor weather you should drive with extra caution, leaving additional space between you and the vehicle in front. Extra care should also be taken with standing water on the roads during wet weather which also poses the hazard of aquaplaning. With this in mind, high wet grip rating should be a key consideration when choosing a tyre to perform in the wet conditions we face in the UK.
Wet grip is the tyre’s ability to stick to the road during wet weather conditions. The New EU tyre label introduced in 2021 focuses purely on the wet braking performance element of wet grip and grades the tyre between classes from A to E. Tyres that are rated high in terms of wet grip rating stop sooner on wet road surfaces when the brakes are fully applied. This is crucial in emergency situations where additional meters of stopping distance can make all the difference.
The best suited tyres for wet weather will be highly rated on wet grip and also be well maintained to ensure optimal performance. As well as wet grip rating, seasonality can also impact upon a tyre’s ability to perform – for example an A rated summer tyre in freezing winter conditions is unlikely to perform as well as an A rated winter tyre in the same conditions.
The new Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 features innovative Wet Braking Pro Technology ensuring that in wet conditions the tyre is still able to grip and maintain contact with the road surface. The cap compound in this tyre contains a new resin system that allows the tyre to have more micro contact with the road - translating inot ultimate grip in damp or wet conditions.
The Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 features Aqua Control Technology which ensures the grooves in the tyre evolve over the life span of the tyre to allow for continuous water dispersion. This ensures the tyre is able to facilitate water evacuation to maintain contact with the road surface during wet conditions.
There are a range of factors that can all impact stopping distance in the rain, as a rule of thumb the following are often the most important:
Want to learn more about caring for your tyres to ensure they are in optimum condition for all weather conditions? Read our article on tyre care here.
