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Ever since the introduction of the all-season tire, Canadian drivers have slid and spun their tires through the coldest months of the year. Here’s the kicker: it doesn’t seem to matter whether there’s snow on the ground or not.
“One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that winter tires are for snow,” says James Bliss, pricing and product manager for the Edmonton-based Fountain Tire, an Approved Auto Repair Services® facility. “The fact is that once the temperature gets below about 5˚ C, winter tires begin to really outshine all-season tires.”
Unlike all-season tires, severe-condition winter tires (identified by mountain and snowflake symbols on their sides) have tread patterns and rubber that are tailored for colder conditions, Bliss says. And that helps them perform better than all-season tires once temperatures plummet, whether or not they have to dig through the white stuff.
In contrast, all-season tires can turn into four round black rocks when the cold hits. Even on dry pavement, at a balmy 5˚ C, a severe snow-rated tire outperforms an all-season tire. And a study conducted by the Quebec Ministry of Transport showed that a proper winter tire can improve braking by up to 25 percent over an all-season radial and can improve collision avoidance by about 38 percent.
Drivers should also not be tempted to skimp and buy only two tires. Do you want to slide off the road forward or backward? Four winter tires are necessary to maintain proper handling and balance.
In winter the temperature can easily slide from 5˚ to –15˚ overnight, dropping tire pressure as much as 4 p.s.i. In an already under-inflated tire, that could put you into the danger zone. Tires, therefore, should be checked monthly. If you’re not up to keeping track of the pressure of your tires when winter’s chill sets in, consider stopping by your trusted repair centre.
“If the temperature is bad, you could just come into a store and we could check that for you,” says Bliss. “That is when it is important, especially if your car has been sitting out in the cold.” And, he adds, if your shop doesn’t want to check for you, maybe it’s time you found another place to take your car.
We have enjoyed a rather mild winter this year in Calgary but as I mentioned in the daylight savings time post, we’re due for some cold weather. Looking at the forecast for this week, it looks like we’re supposed to get some of the white stuff on Tuesday with temperatures dipping slightly below freezing. Even if we don’t get any snow, its important to equip your car with the right tires for the season, and that means winter tires.
Many people assume that all-season tires are just as good as winter tires, especially in Calgary with our generally mild winters. The argument is that because of how often chinook winds blow through the area and melt away all the snow, winter tires are useless and a waste of money. Winter tires are not just designed to aid in snow/ice traction, even though that is how they are all marketed by the manufacturers. Winter tires are made with a different compound than all-season tires and summer tires allowing them to remain softer during extremely cold weather which ultimately leads to better handling and traction, even in the absence of any snow or ice.
Another important thing that is often overlooked by people purchasing winter tires is that having winter tires on all four corners of your vehicle is just as important as purchasing them in the first place. Don’t cheap out by purchasing only 2 tires, get all 4. Its not just about the extra traction when trying to get going (fine to just have winter tires on the drive wheels) but having winter tires on all four corners provides maximum grip for your car when you try to stop in wintery conditions.
If you haven’t purchased winter tires yet, or would like some more information please contact one of our sponsors. There is a reason some people refer to all-season tires as a compromise tire.
Winter tires have been mandatory in Quebec since December. Finally, a good decision from a government that tends to think about lining its pockets when it comes to the automobile sector. It’s a move that the other provinces and even our neighbours to the south will be keeping a close eye on. However, I for one am not convinced it will amount to significantly better safety record, even though there’s no doubt that winter tires are safer than all-season ones. Human nature is such that the more safety features we have working for us, the more risks we take. In the end, this translates into roughly the same results.
Continental tire manufacturers recently brought together some Canadian journalists to drive home the importance of winter tires, and of course let us try their latest creation in this field. In Canada, people are generally aware of the value of having the right tires for the season, but the same is not true in other countries. In the U.S., for example, only 2.3% of drivers go for them, compared to 14% in our country.
A new, more effective tire
Continental, a German brand, may be less well-known than some other tire makers, but they offer a somewhat higher-end product with more of an emphasis on performance. In the automobile industry, German products are known for their excellent quality, as well as the corresponding heftier price. So it’s not surprising that Continental products are somewhat more expensive than the competition’s, but that’s to be expected for anything that’s high-end. You’ll find these tires standard on certain BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz models. Meanwhile, the company’s General Tire division offers more middle-of-the-road products, most notably with its AltiMax line, which is affordable and very effective.
The event at Continental gave us the chance to appreciate the merits of their latest product, the Extreme Winter Contact tires. Evaluating tires is always a difficult task, particularly ones in the same range, but I’ll admit that I was pleasantly surprised by their performance.
Winter tires, are they really important?
In addition to introducing their new winter tires, Continental wanted to prove that winter tires are superior to their all-season counterparts. Now, I’ll start by admitting that only a few years ago I was convinced that all-season tires offered a good compromise year-round, particularly if they were new. However, now that I have a few performance tests under my belt, I realize that that’s not the case at all. And this event just reinforced my conviction.
The first thing you should know is that winter tires aren’t just useful in snow. The hard rubber that all-season tires are made from may mean they’re more durable at higher temperatures, but it also means they’re even harder and consequently less grippy once the mercury dips below 7 oC. You can imagine then that at -25oC, you’ve suddenly got four hockey pucks spinning under you. And aren’t your tires supposed to keep your vehicle in contact with the road? So, whether there’s snow and ice or not, all-season tires offer far inferior performance in winter.
To prove this, Continental provided us with two identical vehicles: one equipped with winter tires and another with all-season tires. Using the winter tires, we were able to shave 5 seconds off our time completing the snowy circuit with bends, a slalom and an emergency brake point. Five seconds off the usual 35 seconds it takes to complete this circuit may not seem like much, but what was truly significant was the feeling of control the winter tires give you. Especially notable was the braking distance, which goes up by a third with the all-season tires. That alone was enough to convince me that winter tires can make all the difference in a lot of cases.
Don’t mix and match!
We also test a third vehicle, this one with a pair of winter tires on the back (since it was a rear-wheel drive vehicle) and all-season tires on the front. This was common practice a few years back, but it’s really the worst possible combination. You get a false feeling of security from the good traction on accelerations, but on turns contact with the road is mediocre at best, which can fool you and set you up for some unpleasant surprises. You’re better off with four all-season tires – the lack of grip will at least force you to be more cautious!
What about money? Well, aside from the fact that you don’t have to buy two sets of tires at once, there really is no financial advantage in opting for all-season tires. A set of winter tires paired with a set of all-season tires will last longer than two sets of all-season tires. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be equipped with what’s best for each season.
In short, all-season tires are a compromise, and like all compromises, negative aspects come with them. And when you’re talking about tires and automotive safety, compromises are something to avoid. Instead, go with the best option for each season.
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