The benefits of winter tiresAlthough the blazing autumn colours make this one of the prettiest times of the year, we all know that they're a sign of tougher times ahead, climate-wise. It won't be long until that colourful palette gives way to a blanket of white – also pretty in its own way – but potentially treacherous for motorists.
The single most important purchase you can make to ensure safe driving this winter is a good set of winter tires. Regardless of whether it’s a rear-wheel drive sports car, a front-wheel drive sedan or an all-wheel drive SUV, the most important safety feature of any vehicle is the contact patch – that rectangular section of rubber where the tire meets the road. Many people lull themselves into a false sense of security, believing that their vehicle's AWD system is infallible, so they skimp when it comes to buying tires.
All the technology in the world is no substitute for good grip – and only a genuine winter tire (bearing the industry-standard mountain snowflake) can provide sufficient grip when the temperature dips below zero. "But," I can almost hear you saying, "I just bought a new set of all-season tires and they've got plenty of tread." The belief that all-season tires are effective on snow and ice is one of the most frustrating – and dangerous – misconceptions about winter driving. Tire experts and driving instructors often refer to them as "no-season tires" since they are at best a compromise. Time and time again, I've seen friends invest in expensive all-wheel drive SUVs or minivans loaded with the latest safety systems, thinking they've done everything they can to ensure their family's safety. And yet, they leave the all-season tires on, having been convinced by unscrupulous (or uneducated) sales people that one tire will suffice throughout the year. They blame the weather or road conditions for the resulting slides, mishaps – or worse. After attending countless winter driving schools and tire demonstrations, driving identical vehicles equipped with both summer and winter tires on road courses and skid pads, I've experienced first-hand the vastly superior handling provided by good-quality winter tires. A front-wheel drive economy car shod with winter tires will out-stop and out-handle an all-wheel drive SUV in all-season tires every time.
It’s not just about tread: dedicated winter tires are created with a compound that remains malleable far below freezing, to provide a sticky, surface-adhering grip. Non-winter tires, including all-seasons, are formulated for much warmer temperatures and become hard and unyielding when the mercury dips below zero. For an example of how well hard rubber grips, picture a hockey puck gliding across the ice. Dedicated winter tires generally contain more natural ingredients than those formulated for summer use. Natural rubber and silica provide better traction since they tend to retain their elasticity below freezing. Tread pattern should be arranged in blocks to bite into the snow, with wide grooves between the blocks to channel away the film of water on the surface of the ice, so the tire can get a grip on the bare surface. The tread patterns contain plenty of sipes - thin, zig-zag slits through the tread blocks to increase surface area and traction.
Tire companies experiment with all kinds of ingredients when it comes to keeping the elasticity in cold tires. Michelin uses sunflower oil, Yokohama uses orange oil. These natural ingredients replace petroleum-derived oil and not only remain sticky and malleable at low temperatures – they're more environmentally friendly too. How many times have you heard someone declare that one pair of winter tires should suffice (installed on the front for a front-wheel drive car, or behind for rear-wheel drive) since "those are the wheels doing all the work". This can be a recipe for disaster. An uneven balance of traction from front to back can cause the back end of a front-wheel drive car to slide around – and vice versa for a rear-wheel driven vehicle. Your car needs equal grip to perform properly – all four tires should be identical. Rather than switching tires back and forth at the end of the season, it may be easier to have your winter tires mounted on a cheap set of steel wheels – which keeps salt, grit and scrapes from damaging your car's snazzy summer alloys. Many people cite cost as the main reason for not buying dedicated winter tires. But when you consider the amount of money saved in preventing expensive accident repairs and the resultant rise in insurance rates – winter tires sound like a wise investment. And the peace of mind they deliver is priceless. |
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