Winter Tier Tips

Don’t get caught with summer tires on!
The first snow storms can be the most dangerous of the winter season. The temperatures are usually around the freezing point, when ice is almost water, making it extremely slippery. This is when you need the most friction between the road surface and your tires.

The flexible rubber found in the latest generation of ice + snow tires provides that friction by maintaining its elasticity up to -40°C. Summer tires, on the other hand, start to harden and lose their elasticity and road-holding ability at about +10°C, while all-season tires stay flexible to between -8°C and -15°C. Would you rather stop on a hockey puck or a pencil eraser?

Use 4 Winter Tires.
Avoid mixing different types of tires on the front and rear and rotate your tires often to keep all four wearing evenly. The more similar the depth of tread, the type of rubber compound and tread design, the more efficient will be your car’s ability to maneuver, brake and accelerate on treacherous surfaces.

Make sure your tires are in good condition.
Have your tires measured for tread depth. You need at least 4.8mm (3/16) of tread to effectively plough through snow. If you are using all season tires it will only take one or two winters until you’ve reached that depth. Winter tires, on the other hand, have deeper treads to begin with, and since you use them only during winter months, they’ll retain an effective depth for three or four winters.

4X4’s/SUV’s: Danger! Proceed with caution!
Their main advantage is their ability to accelerate on slippery roads. However, this feature tends to create a false sense of security among motorists, who are inclined to drive faster regardless of winter road conditions. Some motorists even neglect to install four good winter tires in the belief that such tires are pointless on this type of vehicle. It should be noted that 4X4 are usually heavier and have a higher center of gravity that conventional vehicles, which increases braking distances and reduces lateral stability in curves. Slowing down and using a 4 ice + snow tires is the surest way to keep these vehicles out of the ditch and right-side up.

Other Winter Safety Tips

• If you’ve just driven through a lot of snow and suddenly the steering wheel or floor are vibrating, remove any snow that accumulated on your wheels inboard and outboard). The vibration should disappear.
• When you buy a new or used car and are told that it is equipped with all-season tires, look for the stamp “M + S” (mud and snow) on the sidewall of each tire before you drive that car on a snow or ice covered surface. Many cars, such as BMW, Honda Accord EXI, Prelude, Mercedes and Volvo come with high performance summer tires. The rubber on these tires become as hard as plastic in cold weather, resulting in little or no friction on slippery surfaces.
• If you are determined to use all-season tires rather than snow tires, make sure you limit this compromise to the most efficient tires you can buy. The government and industry standards for all-season tires are not very strict. Although all four season tires bear the same “M + S” label, some are little more than aggressive looking summer tires and are not suitable for harsh winter conditions.
• If your car comes equipped with low-profile summer tires, try to reduce the width slightly for winter tires. Reduced tread width increases winter traction as there’s that much less snow to push. But make sure the replacement tire is the same height as the original.
• When braking on ice or packed snow, depress the clutch or put your transmission into neutral to disengage the engine from the drive wheels, and pump the brakes rapidly but not too fast. As Denis Corriveau, author of “The Advanced Techniques of Driving” recommends, “Practice this type of braking in a quiet spot at the beginning of winter. You may think these things only happen to others, but don’t wait for it to happen to you.”

/* */