Winter Tire and Winter Driving Myths
Winter tires are not like All-season tires. Winter tires have special rubber compounds designed to improve traction, handing, and breaking in all cold weather conditions, just not on ice and snow. Using four winter tires is recommended. Four winter tires ensures optimum traction and control for all vehicle types it’s the cheapest insurance you can buy to protect yourself, your family, and others on the road. Here are some winter driving myths:
- All-season tires are good enough
Although you might get away with them most of the time, all-season tires may mean the difference between crashing and not crashing. All season tires can increase stopping distance by 30 to 40 percent compared to winter tires.
- All-wheel drive is a winter saviour
All- wheel drive only helps you accelerate- it offers no advantage when you’re trying to turn or stop on slick surfaces. Because it adds weight, the stopping distance of an all-wheel drive vehicle can actually be worse than a comparable two-wheel drive model.
- You don’t need winter tires unless there’s snow on the road
It’s about temperature, not snow. Winter tires should be installed when you expect the temperatures to fall to 7 C or lower. As the temperature falls, the rubber in summer and all-season tires become inflexible, losing their traction.
- If you hit black ice, there is nothing you can do
If your car begins to side, look straight down at the road at where you need to go, and maintain a light grip on the wheel. As the car decelerates, you will gradually regain control as your tires begin gripping the ice.
- All tires with the snowflake symbol are created equally
To use the snowflake symbol, a manufacturer must prove that a tire meets a set of minimum standards. But as test prove, there are a wide variation in winter tire performance.
- Big treads are better
Modern winter tire technology is based on relatively shallow treads and closely spaced groves that carry away the water film created when the tire pressed down on ice or snow.
