Tires are remarkably adaptable things, engineered to withstand a wide array of surfaces and impacts. But there is no one single tire that is meant to perform optimally across all conditions, even the misleadingly-titled “all-season tires.” And when you live in a climate as broad and ever-changing as that of British Columbia, it makes absolute sense to add to your collection of tires so that you have something that will perform optimally in the vast majority of your driving scenarios.
This is where winter tires come in.
Winter tires are specially designed to do two key things:
When the mercury dips below 7 degrees Celsius, the rubber on all-season and summer performance tires hardens so your tires lose traction. Combine that with the slick icy conditions, and this can add a significant distance to your stopping times. Ten to twenty meters might not seem like a lot at first glance, but consider that this often means sliding through stop signs, intersections, and into the back bumpers of the cars ahead of you.
Considering how affordable winter tires are, and how quick and easy they are to have stored, replaced, and rotated, getting winter tires and saving yourself some white-knuckled driving makes total sense.
Many people often try to save some money by only installing two winter tires. Don’t! While it might make sense in your mind to install two winter tires at the front of your front-wheel drive, this only makes sense until you make your first turn at an icy intersection and slide out of control. By having four winter tires, you get the consistency you need and the balanced control you want on the road. (Why else get them in the first place?) This is what ensures that your anti-lock braking system and traction control work to ensure top safety and performance handling.