Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Winter Tires, Do I? Or Don't I?

Does anyone remember the lazy hazy days of summer?  They seem a million miles away to me.  Gone are the carefree days of long drives with the top down, wearing easy breezy shorts and tshirts and hello to snowsuits, galoshes and yes the great Canadian debate: snow tires.


Every winter season begins the same.  On Halloween, a sudden cold snap hits and we begin that great debate either with ourselves, or our loved ones: do we have winter tires installed?  To me, the answer is quite simply YES!  There should be no debate and no argument.  Just because we are Canadians and as a general population can not only bear sub zero temperatures, but rather embrace it does not mean our vehicles are just as eager to meet the task.

For those of you who are still on the fence of whether to have winter tires installed onto your vehicle, here are a few tips to consider:

  1. Do not wait until the first snow fall to go out and have your winter tires installed.  Firstly, you will most definitely not be the only one who decided to wait, making install times longer and product availability less.
  2. Just because it has not snowed does not mean you do not need winter tires!  Winter tires protect you and your vehicle from the sudden drop in temperature.  Once the outside temperature hits approximately 7 degrees Celsius, the rubber on your tires, whether summer or all seasons, become inflexible, which means that your vehicle will have no traction.
  3. The main purpose of a winter tire is to move water.  Tires melt the snow and ice as they apply pressure.  This causes the creation of a small layer of water underneath your tires.  Winter tires are specifically designed to combat this water, with specially designed grooves and channels.  Without winter tires, your car will hydroplane due to the thin layer of water.
  4. Do not let all-season tires provide you with a false sense of comfort. On snow, ice or cold pavement, the stopping distance of a car with winter tires can be up to 30 to 40 per cent shorter than one with all-seasons. 
  5. Winter tires have come a long way.  Gone are the days of bulky tires that completely change the drive of your vehicle.  As technology has advanced, it has allowed companies to create new rubber compounds that have allowed companies to make the optimal winter tire, without sacrificing any other part of your vehicle.
  6. Consider it an investment.  While there is a cost that comes along with installing winter tires, is it a proven fact that they do save lives and prevent accidents during the Canadian winter season.  Transport Canada highly recommends that all drivers have winter tires installed onto their vehicle.
There are a few things that we can count on in Ottawa.  One of them is that snow will come.  Along with it, ice, sleet and freezing rain.  So why waste any more time huffing and puffing and debating.  Go out and get your winter tires.  
It is the Canadian thing to do!