Tires are often overlooked, but are one of the most important parts of your car.
After all, it’s the only part of your car that is actually in contact with the ground! Whether it’s maintaining proper air pressure, rotating tires periodically, or replacing worn tires, paying more attention to your tires is not only easy but it’s a great way to reduce operating costs and remain safe on the road. Imagine what would happen if you put old and worn-out tires on a race car–that driver wouldn’t stand a chance of winning the race. I know, I know, you aren’t a race car driver. Tires make that much of a difference when it comes to traction, handling, and emergency braking.
How does the weather affect my tires?
Does air temperature and road conditions have an impact on how your tires perform? The answer is a resounding yes. Here are some of the most common objections I hear when it comes to winter driving and changing to appropriate tires:
“I have AWD, so I’m okay.”
“I have all-season tires, so I’m good.”
“I haven’t had an issue yet using all-season tires…”
“But it doesn’t snow a lot where I live.”
“I have another car I can drive when the weather gets bad in the winter.”
“I’ll just take it slow in poor winter conditions.”
Do I actually need winter tires?
If you live in an area where winter temperatures drop below 40-45 degrees (F) consistently, you need winter tires. There are two common misconceptions about tires in cold weather:
Winter tires are actually “snow tires”
All-season tires are preferred to be used in all the seasons (what gives!)
While snow and ice are major factors when it comes to winter driving, that’s not the only reason you need winter tires. Tires are made up of a very complex rubber blend and the resulting rubber compound is designed to operate within a certain temperature range. This is because it’s critical that tires remain soft (or hard) enough to maintain traction in any given temperature. Summer tires need to resist getting too soft in the heat and winter tires need to resist getting too hard in the cold. But because of that design, a summer tire in the winter will be rock-hard and lacking safe traction for handling and braking, and a winter tire would be too soft in the summer and would wear out very quickly. 40-45 degrees (F) is generally when tire manufactures recommended to change from summer tires to winter tires or vice versa.
Now, if you add ice and snow into the mix, proper tires have even more of an advantage, which can be found in tread pattern designs. The tread on a winter tire is designed to handle snow build-up and increase traction when contact with pavement is limited. All-seasons will do okay in the snow but they’re also designed to handle extreme summer conditions as well. Therefore, the tread pattern and rubber compound is going to be a major compromise.
So what about “all-seasons?”
Aren’t all-season tires designed to work in all the seasons? The answer is yes, but there’s a catch. I agree with Tire Rack when they said that all-season tires are the ‘jack of all trades, master of none.’ Many enthusiasts often refer to all-seasons as ‘no-seasons’ since they aren’t performing excellent in any temperature. In fact, some European countries have already mandated appropriate tires during winter conditions and drivers are fined for using improper tires. All-season tires are designed so that the tires resist getting too soft in the heat and resist getting to hard in the cold. But the problem is that in order to accomplish such a wide temperate range, there has to be a compromise. Think of a Swiss Army knife. It does many things good, it’s certainly convenient, but it most certainly will not replace dedicated knives in the kitchen. And when it comes to vehicle safety for you, your family, and others on the road, there should be no room for compromise.
In the winter, all-seasons will not perform nearly as well as a dedicated winter tire. Similarly, all-seasons will not perform nearly as well as a summer tire in hot conditions. What you end up getting with all-season tires is average traction (handling, braking, emergency maneuvering) in all weather conditions. And you may not notice any difference when driving “normally.” But god forbid you are in an emergency situation, such as a last-minute swerve on the highway, or a hard brake to avoid an animal or a person, you need your tires to be performing at their very best given the temperature and conditions. It just could be the difference. Check out this informative video that demonstrates how much faster you can stop and maneuver with proper tires.
Driving in snow and ice makes the need for winter tires especially important, but the cold temperature alone, even in dry conditions, will render your all-season (and summer) tires less than optimal compared to dedicated winter tires.
But what about AWD?
Doesn’t all-wheel drive eliminate the need for winter tires? The answer is no. AWD is helpful, but it does not overcome physics. AWD is most beneficial for accelerating from a stand-still when the roads are wet or covered in snow and ice. You’ll be able to accelerate off-the-line quicker relative to a similar vehicle that is FWD or RWD. Perhaps AWD will help you climb up a steep hill when conditions are poor. However, AWD does not compensate for safety and handling in poor weather conditions. When your 4000-pound vehicle is traveling 60MPH and you need to come to a stop quickly, one of the most important factors is how your tires grip the pavement. AWD, FWD, or RWD will have little to no impact on a heavy braking situation, especially when the road conditions are poor. Similarly, if you need to make an emergency maneuver, it’s your tires that will enable the best traction and provide the most safety during unpredictable moments behind the wheel.
let’s talk about price
Isn’t it expensive to have two set of tires? The answer is no, not in the long run. Changing between seasonal tires means that each set is going to be used less each year. So after about 50,000 miles you may need a second set of all-seasons if you never change them out. Whereas if you were changing to seasonal tires twice a year, each set would have roughly 25,000 miles on them at that point. So, yes you’ll need to spend more on tires up front, but the two sets of seasonal tires theoretically will last just as long as the two sets of all-season tires, assuming they are rotated properly and cared for similarly. But even if you lease a car, or don’t keep cars long enough to wear completely through a set of tires, this is about safety!
So drive safe out there! And remember to pay more attention to your tires. You won’t regret it.
Helpful Links
Tire Rack comparing the traction in cold weather for summer, winter and all-season tires: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/videoDisplay.jsp?ttid=116
Car and Driver comparing some of the top rated winter tires for 2018:
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/winter-tire-test-six-top-brands-tested-compared-feature