Why Do You Need Winter Tires?

A number of folks discuss Canada’s natural resources with reference to winter, including beavers, friendliness, and sports. However, even in regions where winters are harshest, hardly any Canadians drive in winter tires, even if it is for their safety.

According to the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC), only 66% of the Canadian population drives in winter tires. This varies by metropolitan area, with a maximum value of 86% in Quebec, wherein winter tires are mandated by law, and then a lowest in Canada of 48% in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

What is the most common reason for not wearing winter tires?

All-season tires are sufficient. For most of Canada, winter tires are the preferred choice. All-season radial tires stiffen thin and freeze when the temperature drops below 7 degrees Celsius.

What Exactly Is The Difference?

Winter is indeed a season, but then all tires aren’t built to withstand the elements. This is certainly something you’ve heard in tire advertisements: When the temperature dips below 7 degrees Celsius, the leather on all-season tires becomes hard, comparable to something like a hockey puck. Keeping in mind the decrease in temperature, the tires lose the ability to hold on to the ground and ice. They are sliding, losing control, or needing to take multiple seconds to come to a complete stop.

Tires produced for cold temperatures are softer and more silica-rich, showing a decrease in loss of grip as the temperature drops as low as 40 degrees Celsius. Due to this they attach to colder surfaces better. Drive an automobile with all-season tires in Edmonton in December, and then use the same car with winter tires on instead when driving in winter. It’s like wearing winter snow shoes rather than regular shoes to cross an icy parking lot.

Consumer Reviews’ tire testing coordinator, Gene Petersen, remarked winter tires as among the few tire items that consumers buy and are entirely delighted with because they carry out their duties perfectly.

Why Do You Need Winter Tires?

1. They are designed for snow

To achieve the winter tire name, tires must meet certain performance requirements. The lower the ambient temperature, the softer the rubber in all-season or conventional tires becomes, affecting their efficacy on slick roads. On the flip side, winter tire rubber stays sturdy, making it easy for them to navigate around the wintry landscape.

2. They have unique treads

Winter tires feature treads that are broader and wider than those found on a set of standard all-season tires. Winter tires’ tread serves two purposes. For starters, it’s made to wick moisture away from the tire’s primary point of contact, giving the driver more control. Second, the wider tread allows the tires to hold the snow and ice as they rotate, eventually kicking it out behind them while the vehicle drives along the snow and wet surface.

3. Better Braking

It isn’t easy to get a vehicle started in slick weather. Stopping a car in snowy weather is considerably more difficult. Winter tires have been demonstrated in studies to reduce braking distance by up to 37%.

On our icy northern highways, this is a huge benefit. Not only may this avert an accident, but it could also save a life.

Only Snowflakes Are Capable Of Withstanding The Winter

There are winter tires, all-season tires, all-weather and studded tires, and tires at a tire store, which can be puzzling. The M+ S mark, which stands for mud and snow, is found on the side of most all-season tires, but they are not winter tires. On the side of all winter tires, there must be a mountainous snowflake insignia.

In the winter, the M+S is required by law on-mountain main roads in British Columbia; however, the province suggests tires with the hillside snowflake for extra grip on ice and snow. Studded tires, on the other hand, contain metal studs implanted in the tread. They’re made to give you even more traction on ice than winter tires. They’re also obnoxious, can harm driveways, and aren’t allowed on the highways during the summer in several regions.

Lastly, there are all-season tires with the alpine snowflake sign emblazoned on the side. They’re made to stay on your vehicle all year. They are a compromise: the rubber isn’t as soft as all tires, but it isn’t as smooth as a winter tire. They’re generally decent but not exceptional all year.

Final Remarks

We strongly advise all motorists to invest in a set of high-quality snow tires for their cars. In snowy circumstances, winter tires provide you with better control. With all that being said, if the highways are awful and you shouldn’t have to ride, it’s always safer to stay home till the weather and the roads improve.