29 october 2022
Winter is coming
Everyone wants to feel safety on the roads. Consider all possible risks and challenges in the winter season to ensure your safety and comfort. Think over of new winter tires, rust protection, winter prevention and maitenance preparations.
All-season tires vs winter tires
As the wet and cloudy conditions of autumn transition into the chilly winter weather, it’s time for drivers to consider the pros and cons of switching to winter tires.
Pros of Winter Tires |
Cons of Winter Tires |
|
Provides better traction when the temperature averages 7 degrees Celsius or colder, and in icy or snowy conditions |
Extra cost |
|
Extends the life of all-season tires |
Takes time and money to swap to winter tires, then change back to all-seasons in the spring |
|
Required by law for driving in certain areas of Canada during the winter (Quebec and certain highways in B.C) |
Need a place to store winter tires for the rest of the year |
Should you switch to winter tires?
Consider these questions when you’re deciding if you should make the switch:
- Are you willing to pay the cost of winter tires and installation (and, possibly, storage for your extra tires)?
- Does your region get a lot of snow and ice during the winter? If so, are you concerned about the danger of driving in frigid conditions?
- If you live in Quebec or British Columbia, do your current tires meet the mandatory requirements?
If you need more information before you can answer those questions, we’ve got your back.
The benefits of winter tires
All-season tires are generally fine for driving in when the thermometer measures around 7 degrees Celsius or higher. In these temperatures, the rubber is flexible enough to maintain a good grip on the road. However, when the mercury drops below 7 C, the material in all-season tires hardens and reduces traction.
Winter tires are designed to stay flexible in cold temperatures (7 C or lower), so they can spread out and maintain a better grip. Also, winter tires include tread patterns that are designed to push water away to the sides, which allows the tires to stay in better contact with the surface of the road.
4-wheel drive is not a substitute for winter tires
It’s important to emphasize that driving features like 4-wheel drive (4WD), anti-lock brakes, and electronic stability control can be useful for accelerating and maneuvering, but they do almost nothing for stopping or slowing down. To get better traction on a snowy or icy road, there’s no substitute for winter tires.
How to buy the best winter tires for your vehicle
At this point, you’re probably convinced that you need winter tires (or, you’re at least strongly considering it). These are the factors you need to consider when you’re shopping for winter tires.
1. Tires and Rims
When you look at a tire, it’s actually composed of two main parts:
- Tire: the black rubber doughnut
- Wheel or rim: the circular metal structure that the tire wraps around
You have two options when buying winter tires: buy only the rubber tires and have them swapped onto your car’s existing rims, or buy winter tires that come with their own rims.
If you choose to purchase only the rubber tires, you can save money on the purchase but you’ll need to spend a little extra money and time getting the rubber swapped out on your rims.
If you prefer buying winter tires with their own rims, it’ll be quicker and easier to replace the tires (you might even be able to do it yourself), but you’ll need to pay extra for the rims. Plus, many newer cars are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), which use sensors in the wheels. If you have one of these cars and want to use this feature, you’ll have to pay extra for TPMS sensors in your winter tires.
2. Shop early
Don’t wait too late into the winter season before pulling the trigger on your winter tire purchase. Most retailers only receive inventory in the autumn, so the selection of tires will become skimpier as time goes by.
The best rule of thumb is to get your tires when you notice the temperature is starting to hover around 7 C or lower, or even earlier if you want the best selection to choose from.
3. Look for the logo
According to Transport Canada, to qualify as a “winter tire” in Canada, it must be labelled with the 3-peaked mountain/snowflake (“Alpine”) logo:
This symbol is almost exclusively found on winter and all-weather tires to indicate that the tire is certified to meet certain performance criteria in snow testing.
However, British Columbia's mandatory requirments include all-season M+S (mud + snow) tires too. Instead of the 3-peaked mountain/snowflake (“Alpine”) logo, you'll find the 'M+S' designation on the right all-season tire. Each mud & snow tire must have a tread depth of 3.5mm to be considered acceptable for BC's winter roads.
Source: https://www.canadadrives.ca/blog/maintenance/are-winter-tires-worth-the-money