Winter Tires versus All Season Tires for ON Motorists

It's surprising to find that many drivers in our province still do not act upon the best science in regard to the type of tires they use during winter months. Perhaps it's because of cost that some NL motorists stick with their all-season tires throughout the winter months as well. Or perhaps they find it is just too much of a hassle to get their tires changed over twice a year.

However, these drivers could be making a very big mistake. In terms of safety and general driving control, winter tires far surpass the all-season tires when temperatures go below 7 degrees Celsius.

All legitimate winter tires carry the snowflake symbol and mountain graphic. All-season tires might have the designation M+S, meaning “Mud + Snow” but that designation is somewhat misleading when it comes to the kind of winter conditions which we find anywhere in our province, including GTA Toronto. All-season tires are fine for occasional snow in areas where snow is an unusual or rare event. We all know that in general Ontario does not fall into that category from October through April.

Keep in mind that the typical passenger tire has approximately the same amount of tread contact with the road as a pair of adult feet so when there is snow or ice on the ground you had better be sure that your tires are well matched to what comes in contact with them. That means you really need a winter tire for maximum safety and driving control. In fact, those who actually make it through a full winter season in ON driving on all-season tires without a close call are either very lucky people or their car has been stored in the garage all winter.

As the above video produced by Continental Tires indicates, even the lower winter temperatures, aside from actual snow and ice on the road, makes it very difficult for all-season tires to offer you the kind of safety you'd be expecting on the road.