While winter surely is a beautiful season, with the all-white landscapes and festively decorated towns, it’s also the season when the roads are most dangerous. Snow and ice can make driving challenging and dangerous, leading to accidents, skids, and collisions. In order to stay safe and prepared while driving on icy and snowy roads, you’ll need a pair of winter tires.
Since they’re specifically designed to perform in colder temperatures and adverse winter conditions, snow tires are a must in winter for everyone on the road. To help you on this adventure, we’ve compiled a list of everything you need to know about these specialized tires.
What Are Winter Tires?
Winter tires, also known as snow tires, are designed to perform in cold temperatures, snow, and ice. They are made with a special rubber compound that stays flexible even in freezing temperatures, allowing for a better grip on the road. They also feature deeper tread patterns and unique tread designs that help disperse water, snow, and slush, providing better traction and handling.
They differ from all-season and summer tires because they are optimized for winter conditions. Although it’s said that all-season are designed to be safe to drive in every weather, they aren’t as effective in extremely cold situations with a lot of snow and ice. Summer tires, on the other hand, are designed for warm weather and can become hard and lose grip in cold temperatures.
Benefits of Winter Tires
Winter tires offer several benefits that can help improve your safety and performance on winter roads. First off, they offer better grip on snowy and icy roads than all-season and summer tires. The deeper tread patterns and special rubber compounds allow the tires to maintain better contact with the road surface, reducing the risk of slipping and sliding.
They can also help you stop more quickly on snow and ice, reducing the risk of accidents and collisions. Tests have shown that winter and snow tires can reduce stopping distance by up to 30% compared to all-season tires.
These tires remain flexible in cold temperatures, allowing for better handling and control on winter roads. They also reduce the risk of hydroplaning by dispersing water and slush more effectively.
Myths About Winter Tires
There are several myths and misconceptions about winter tires that can lead to confusion and misinformation. Here are some of the most common ones about them you should be aware of.
Winter Tires Are Only Necessary for Areas With Heavy Snowfall
Due to a popular misunderstanding, a lot of drivers expect that they’ll only need winter tires if they live in an area with heavy snow and ice during the colder months. But, that’s not their only use. Even a light snowfall or frost can make roads slippery and dangerous, and winter tires can help improve your safety and performance.
All-Season Tires Are Sufficient for Winter Driving
As we mentioned, it’s widely known that all-season tires are able to safely drive in different temperatures and weather conditions, however, during the cold months, they’re not the top candidate for safety. All-season tires can become hard and lose grip in cold temperatures, increasing the risk of accidents and collisions.
Winter Tires Are Too Expensive
While the price of snow tires can seem a bit expensive at first, remember that they’re an investment in your safety and performance on winter roads. By protecting you against damage caused to your vehicle by accidents and potential medical bills if involved in one, they’re actually saving you money in the long run.
How to Choose the Right Winter Tires
Now that you know how important winter tires are, it’s time to choose a pair for your car. Here are some things you’ll need to know when choosing a set of winter tires for your vehicle:
• Tread design: Look for tires with deeper tread patterns and unique designs that can help disperse water, snow, and slush more effectively.
• Rubber compound: Look for tires with a rubber compound that stays flexible in cold temperatures, providing better grip and handling.
• Speed rating: Always choose tires with a speed rating the same or higher as your car.
• Complete set: Mixing winter tires with all-season or summer tires can compromise handling and safety.
Final Thoughts
Winter tires can provide significant benefits for your safety and performance on winter roads. They offer improved traction, handling, and control in cold temperatures and adverse winter conditions, reducing the risk of accidents and collisions. Choosing the right pair of tires and maintaining them properly can ensure optimal performance and longevity. Don’t let winter catch you unprepared – invest in a set of winter tires and drive with confidence and safety.
