A recent survey by Goodyear revealed that North American drivers may not be well prepared for the upcoming winter. Now, the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC) and the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) have both published a report to confirm the importance of winter tires.

The RAC points out that, since the government of Quebec made winter tires mandatory in 2008, the number of accidents with injuries in the province has dropped by 5%.

Meanwhile, according to the TIRF, the benefits of using winter tires are not understood by many Canadian drivers. More effective than all-season tires when temperatures drop below 7 degrees Celsius, winter tires shorten braking distances by up to 30% whether the road surface is dry, slushy, icy or covered in snow.

Nationally, a mere 52% of drivers use winter tires. Many others believe that these tires are only useful in regions with lots of snow, or on vehicles without ABS or all-wheel drive. However, these systems require sufficient traction to be effective, and winter tires provide that needed traction.

So, what are you waiting for?

Photo: Matthieu Lambert