LETCHWORTH, United Kingdom (Jan. 22, 2013) — Kwik-Fit Group, Europe's largest independent tire retailer, reported selling more than five times the number of winter tires in the United Kingdom than at the same time last week.
The 450-percent jump in demand comes, the company said, as drivers prepare for adverse conditions in response to severe weather warnings.
However, only a small proportion of drivers switch their tires in the winter, according to research by Kwik Fit, which found that 68 percent of customers are unaware of the difference between cold- and warm-weather tires.
The dealership's study also found that 23 percent of motorists said they have not even heard of winter tires.
Kwik Fit is calling for the UK government to update the country's driving test to include knowledge of winter tires.
This report appeared in European Rubber Journal, a UK-based sister publication of Tire Business.
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