Winter Tires - Safety in Snow

Do I really need snow tires?

All Season tires are specified for most new cars sold today. All season tires outsell winter or summer tires in aftermarket purchases also. For the most part this is a good solution for drivers for the reason that many parts of the country do not see difficult winter weather conditions and even those areas of the country that do experience substantial snow and ice still have the majority of the year without those conditions. Late spring, summer and early fall do not call for snow tires even in colder regions. The connotation of an "All Season" tire is that it is engineered for all seasons. This is undoubtedly true for most people who live in the lower half of the U.S. But it could be misleading for our friends in the north and mountainous regions that get substantial snow and ice.

Why is a winter tire important?

Snow tires are designed specifically to grab ice and snow. Unlike an all season or summer tire, a snow tire is formed with a softer, more flexible rubber formula more suitable to cold weather. A couple of the more common winter tires are the Blizztak by Bridgestone and the Ultra Grip series by Goodyear Tires. A snow tire is able to retain its road gripping capabilities by using this more pliable compound. It is then able to bite into ice and snow. All season and summer tires are apt to become stiff and inflexible when they get cold. Therefore they lose traction and slip and slide much quicker. Your tires' ability to bite into snow and ice is essential to you stopping, cornering and steering effectively. It will also help you avoid getting stuck. Winter stopping and cornering ability is seriously decreased with tires not specifically designed for winter weather. New systems installed in vehicles like electronic stabilization, anti-lock brakes and all wheel drive are only as effective as the tires allow them to be. Your tires determine the effectiveness of your safety systems. Think of an emergency room equipped with all the latest and best equipment ready to take care of any emergency thrust upon it. However, this ER is staffed by only first year med students. All the greatest tools in the world will not save lives without the necessary expertise of the doctor. In the same way, bad tires make the best safety systems relatively useless.

All-season tires are built to function in varied but general weather conditions: dry roads and rain and in moderate temperatures. They are not constructed for specific and harsh weather conditions. If tires were vehicles, an all season would be a family sedan while a winter tire would be a Hummer. You may possibly drive through a snow storm in a family sedan but a Hummer would be much safer. It's the same way with tires. An all season tire may get you through the snow but you will be much safer and have much better control with a good winter tire.

Can I mix tires using two snow tires and two all season tires?

In an effort to save money, some people try using snow tires only on the drive wheels of their vehicle. This is an ineffective and possibly risky solution. This may give you the confidence in selected situations of having control however this is an illusion and the false confidence may lead to reckless results. Putting snow tires in the front on a front wheel drive may allow better starts and stopping but it places you in danger of fishtailing around turns. The rear wheels will not have sufficient traction to negotiate the turns your front wheels initiate. Similarly and perhaps more dangerous, putting snow tires on the rear wheels of a rear wheel drive car will allow better starts but will do nothing for steering or braking. You should always put snow tires on all four wheels.

What About Keeping Winter Tires On All Year?

This is not really a good alternative. As was mentioned above, winter tires are made of a softer rubber compound. That means they will wear down much earlier than a tire designed for warmer driving conditions. They are made for cold weather and wet and slippery roads. Hot roads and dry pavement is counter to the design of these tires. This is critical for a couple reasons. First you will end up replacing your tires more frequently simply from wear. The primary reason for leaving your snow tires on all year is to avoid buying another set of tires. However, faster wear will mean that you will actually be buying tires more often. Secondly, a deep tread is imperative for a snow tire to be most useful. Deep channels in the tread allow water and slush to escape from under the winter tire while the specially designed tread grips and bites into snow and ice. As summer roads wear on the snow tire, it's grip on snow and ice during the critical winter months is less effective.

Another reason to change tires as soon as the snow clears for good is for a more comfortable ride. All season tires and summer tires among other things are designed for a comfortable ride. Snow tires are not. Road noise is minimized by design in summer and all season tires. Winter tires are usually very noisy. Since you are using a good snow tire, you can put a summer tire on your car for better performance. By doing this, you will be driving on tires that are engineered for the seasons you are driving in. This way you can accomplish better traction and a smoother and quieter ride in all seasons.

Remounting tires twice a year is costly and inconvenient. Is there another alternative?

This can be a problem. I have never met anybody who enjoys sitting in the waiting room of a tire reseller drinking bad coffee and reading old magazines. Mounting fees also accumulate quickly making this a relatively expensive proposal. There is a better alternative. Simply get another set of wheels to mount your snow tires on. You can then simply unbolt your tires when the weather breaks and put your summer tires on. You can do this in under 30 minutes in your garage. No need for remounting, waiting for hours or drinking bad coffee. You can determine how much you want to spend using this method. Some propose that you buy some old wheels from a salvage yard for your snow tires. This may be a good idea but by the time you pay for mounting it may not save you much money.

At least one online tire reseller will sell you a package of wheels and snow tires with mounting and balancing done free. Given this you could easily get new wheels that specifically fit your vehicle and all the mounting hardware at a cost as good or better than getting a set of salvage wheels. The salvage wheels may or may not specifically fit your vehicle whereas the new wheels were made for your vehicle. In any case, be sure the wheel you get is made for your vehicle as is the mounting hardware. If you wish, you can also get more expensive wheels especially if you are likely to keep cars for a long time or you tend to buy the same cars. Regardless, you should be able to sell these wheels with the car at a premium or sell them on Ebay or through a classified ad when you are finished with them. In any case you will not need to remount tires a couple times a year and the wheels will pay for themselves in a few seasons by saving the remounting charges.

So What is the Bottom Line?

If your area gets significant snowfall, plan to buy a good set of winter tires. A single fender bender, a missed sales call or a missed day at work could cost you as much as a set of tires and the tires can be used for several years. Your safety is also critical. Being stuck in the snow, failing to stop in an emergency and sliding through a turn can be more than a financial consideration. Your safety is worth the investment. You can find a beneficial package deal including wheels that will pay for itself in a few seasons. Make the investment and drive safely and with confidence in the snow.