Their treads are made from a special rubber compound with a high proportion of natural rubber. On wet, slippery roads and at temperatures below 7°C, this special compound provides better traction than traditional summer tyres. The main condition for the reliable transfer of driving and braking forces by winter tires to the road is their profile depth of more than 4 mm - a smaller profile depth is not allowed and disqualifies the tire on winter roads. Be sure to fit all four wheels with winter tires - the combination of summer and winter tires can be dangerous.
Comparison of braking performance of summer and winter tires without ABS | 
Comparison of braking performance of summer and winter tires with ABS |
Winter tires are best mounted on their own rims
A good winter tire doesn't have to be wide: the minimum permitted tire size is sufficient for the Focus anyway. Also, small tires are cheaper than luxury wide tyres: invest your smart money savings in a second set of matching rims - constantly remounting winter tires instead of summer tires is not good for tires and over time costs more than a second set of rims. The wheels must be re-balanced after each installation. Drive winter tires with air pressure 0.2 bar higher than summer tires. If the permitted maximum speed of your winter tires is lower than that of your car, a warning sticker is required in Germany in sight on the dashboard. The tire dealer has a stock of appropriate stickers.
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