As much as we’re in denial, winter is headed our way. In Michigan and much of the Midwest, this means freezing and below freezing temperatures, slick roads, and limited visibility while driving. All of these strongly affect our safety on the road.
While a lot of us Midwesterners pride ourselves on our ability to handle anything Michigan winters throw our way, there are just some things we can’t handle without a little adjusting. Some things — like your safety and the safety of your family — are just more important than our pride. And like the “tough guy” that refuses to wear a coat when the wind chill dips below freezing, not preparing your vehicle for winter is just plain irrational.
Wondering how winter tires can keep you and your family safe this winter? Wondering if winter tires are worth the investment? We’ll break down everything you need to know about winter tires so that you can make the best choice to protect yourself, your vehicle, and your loved ones when the weather starts to turn.
Winter tires, also called snow tires, are tires that are specifically engineered for winter conditions. Snow tires is somewhat of a misnomer because when it comes to winter driving, snow is only one of many potential threats. The biggest threat to safety when driving regular tires in the winter, is actually temperature.
Regular or all-season tires are made with rubber compounds that harden when the temperature drops below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. This hardening reduces the tire’s grip on the road and causes a major loss of traction. This type of tire combined with icy roads is a bad combination.
Winter tires are made from a different type of rubber compound that stays flexible in much colder weather. This provides better traction — helping you stay on the road and out of the ditch.
In addition to specific rubber compounds, tread patterns and depths also help with traction. While regular tires have tread patterns designed to maximize tread life, offer a quiet ride, and maintain fuel efficiency, they aren’t equipped to handle snow or slush.
Winter tires have specific tread patterns that work to funnel out snow and slush, and easily expel water. Winter tires also have deeper treads, which reduce the build up of snow and help contribute to better traction.
Another feature of winter tires is an increased amount of biting edges. Biting edges are tiny slits in the tread that also help with traction.
Winter tires work to keep you on the road when conditions get slippery, but they offer more benefits than just improved traction.
When you hit a patch of black ice and start to slip, sometimes you panic and hit the brakes. When you’re driving on regular tires, you’ll end up skidding and possibly in even more danger than you were in in the first place. Winter tires are actually designed to help the vehicle re-orient and not spin out. Using winter tires can increase stopping distance up to 30 percent!
After you’ve avoided the dangers of snow and ice, you’re—unfortunately—not out of the woods yet. When an unseasonably warm day rolls around, snow and ice melt causing lots of water to pool on roads all at once. The special tread patterns we described earlier help with this! The grooves in winter tire treads work to push water through them so that you avoid hydroplaning.
When snow starts to pile up, wide all-season tires can have difficulties navigating through thick snow. Winter tires can be narrower, which increases the pounds per square inch of pressure and allows the tires to cut right through snow, instead of riding up over it.
Just like most things in life: you get what you pay for with winter tires. Winter tires can range from good, to better, to best and vary greatly in price. The thing to keep in mind is that any tire designed for winter conditions is going to be better than one that isn’t.
When considering whether or not to buy winter tires because of the expense, there are a few things to note.
1. Keeping yourself and your family safe is the priority.
2. Having a second set of tires is not actually doubling the expense. By changing your tires out seasonally, you’re not only protecting yourself and your vehicle, you’re halving the tire wear. This means you won’t have to replace your tires as often.
3. You’ll need a full set. Buying just two winter tires will not effectively keep you safe in winter conditions.
Many drivers in Michigan consider All-Wheel Drive (AWD) when purchasing a vehicle to help them during heavy winters. AWD can and does help in winter conditions, but can it do the job alone?
AWD is really good at helping your vehicle accelerate even when roads are slick. It helps because it can send more power to whichever wheels have more traction and away from wheels that are spinning.
However, if your tires have no traction to start, the AWD system can’t make up for it. If none of your tires have traction, you’re stuck.
Vehicles that have AWD, but keep all-season tires on during the winter won’t be able to brake safely or navigate well in winter conditions. Because winter tires are designed to improve traction, a vehicle equipped with AWD and winter tires will be able to handle slippery conditions, brake safely, and navigate through heavy snow.
Technological advances have helped push winter tires to be better now than ever before. Computer modelling allows tire engineers to test different scenarios and options, resulting in the best possible solutions.
Tire companies are also studying how chemical materials bond together to try to improve tire life. Studying and testing materials has led to lighter, stronger tires that last longer and even improve fuel efficiency.
The short answer is: yesterday, now, today, ASAP. Winter tires are so important to your safety that they should be something you think about way before you come up with your halloween costume, make Thanksgiving plans, or make your Christmas list.
Thinking about winter tires early gives you enough time to research which winter tires are best for your vehicle. (Don’t know where to start? Call our team or stop into one of our locations and our staff will be happy to help answer any questions.) It also gives you ample time to budget for them. The holidays can get expensive and adding one more purchase can be stressful. Winter tires are not something that should be cut though as they are so invaluable when the roads get dangerous.
Just like the cool new toy each year, winter tires seem to go out of stock before you even remembered to look into it. Don’t wait and end up out of luck. Even if the tire shop has enough stock later into the year, lines will be long and available appointments rare. Schedule your appointment today to beat the crowds when the first snow falls.
Ultimately, your safety is what’s most important. Make the smart decision for your family, your pocketbook long-term, and your peace of mind.
Make sure to check back next week for another post comparing all-season tires to winter tires.
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