Winter Tires

A Cccccold Hard Truth.

We Lower Mainlanders don’t really think much of snow apart from hitting Whistler/Blackcomb or Grouse Mountain. But lately perhaps due to the effects global warming, the land of liquid sunshine has been hit with increasingly more snowstorms.
In fact last year Vancouver collected over 57cm of snow. It is even higher for the surrounding cities.

But Do I Need Winter Tires?

Do you need insurance? It is the case of safety on the road. Most people do not want to get stuck in the snow, end up in a ditch or worse cause a fender-bender. In the past year, Metro Vancouver has experienced nearly 60 days of below freezing temperatures. That is about two full months of minus 0 degree Celsius. According to the Rubber Association of Canada, the rubber compound in a typical all-season tire hardens resulting in poorer braking and handling. This is most important in emergency situations. We are preconditioned to worry about getting going, but when temperatures drop below 5C stopping and avoidance are the critical capabilities. Winter tires are designed to begin to work when the temperature drops below 5C. Tire manufacturers have spent millions of dollars in R&D to create tire threads that will clear snow, ice and slush thus offering a clear bite of the road.

How About my All-Seasons?

All-Season tires are really Three-Season tires. They are a compromised solution. Neither great on the dry nor rain and ponderously unpredictable on the snow and ice. With only palm-sized contact patches between the road and a vehicle, it is important to ensure tire applications are well optimised. Morten Koch of TireTrends.com emphasised, “A great analogy that cannot be overused is a hockey puck. The puck is frozen before a game because there is less friction and it slides better. The same thing happens to all-season tires. The colder the rubber gets the less friction, and less friction means less grip. Simply put; if a set of tires means stopping 10' sooner it could mean avoiding an accident. The few hundred dollars invested in winter tires will save raised insurance premiums at best or avoid injury or death at worst.”

My Car Has ABS, TSC, EDC, DSC, PASM, AST etc…

Despite the alphabet-soup of safety technology that comes with modern vehicles these days, they prevent the car from ‘over-driving’ itself. These systems act by limiting engine load on the wheels, applying braking, prevent wheel lock and cornering abilities. They do not increase traction. If your car is sliding thanks to slick icy conditions, there is very little that these alpha-technologies can do. It is the laws of physics.

How about AWD or 4WD?

These drive-trains have been increasingly popular with modern vehicles today. An effective system distributes engine load optimally on its drive wheels. While it helps with acceleration, it does nothing for braking.

What is really discomforting is the abundance of overconfident AWD/4WD drivers. If you take a drive down Highway 1 in or after a snow storm, what becomes apparent is the number of 4WD and AWD vehicles that are rolled in the median. AWD and 4WD is great for getting going, but with improper rubber they do not stop any better. In fact the added weight of a typical AWD system will cause the vehicle to stop slower thanks to having inertia mass.

AWD vehicles capability will be greatly enhanced with the added traction of winter tires.

Do I need all 4 tires? Can I make do with only 2?

According to Morten, with 2 winter tires you have different grip levels on front and rear axles. If you put the winters on the front this will result in the rear end braking loose in cornering or braking situations. Basically, because the rear end has less grip it will break free and you end up in a spin. Might sound fun, but in a panic stop, it is not what you want. If you put the tires on the rear you will be unable to steer. Most importantly during emergency avoidance and cornering. If that isn't enough to convince you the RAC recommends only installing 4 winter tires and they must all be matched. After all would you wear a hiking boot on one foot and slippers on the other while exploring a forest trail?

I Need Winter Tires! But Where Do I Start?

Transport Canada and the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC) categorizes winter tires with a snowflake on a mountain peak (see side image) on the sidewall. These tires are tested for snow, ice and will provide traction at low temperatures.

Unlike the days of yore, modern winter tires are no longer noisy nor stiff. Tire manufacturers have spent millions of dollars in R&D. Over the past decade, technological advances in winter tire development have allowed breakthroughs in tread designs and pliable rubber compound under cold temperature.

Only decades ago, one would have a very limited selection for winter tires. But today every major tire maker offers at least one model of winter tire like the ever popular Bridgestone Blizzaks or the technologically advanced Michelin X-Ice. From performance oriented Pirelli Sottozero to the oddly named but bred on the icy fields of Scandinavia – Nokian Hakkapelitta. We the consumers have more choices than ever.

Now that you have realised the safety benefits of winter tires, InsideDrive recommends that you start by visiting a good local tire shop to find the right winter tire for your requirements.

Special Thanks to Morten Koch of TireTrends.com for providing invaluable insights on the technologies of Winter Tires.