Tire companies, driving experts and government agencies have been saying it for years, but now there is indisputable evidence that winter tires save lives and reduce serious injuries.
Research conducted by the government of Quebec in the two years since winter tire use became mandatory in that province shows a five percent reduction in road-accident injuries that can be directly attributed to winter tire use. The study also found that vehicle accidents resulting in death or serious injury declined by three percent. The research concludes that winter tires prevent about 575 road-accident injuries per winter in Quebec.
Sounds like an easy decision to drive on winter tires, but many motorists in the snow-belt still rely on all-season or even summer tires during the winter months. The reason is undoubtedly cost, but when you consider that riding on winter tires reduces the wear and tear on your all-season or summer tires, long-term cost is not a factor. Plus, how much is it worth to potentially avoid an accident? Even a fender bender is likely to cost more than a set of winter tires.
Some people may not think their region receives enough winter precipitation to warrant winter tires. William Estupinan, vice president of technical services for GITI Tire, which markets and sells GT Radial tires across North America, says this is faulty thinking.
“Many motorists are probably not aware that today’s high-tech winter tires deliver better grip in all cold weather conditions, even dry pavement, because of significant technology advances in tire tread compounds,” he says. “The rubber compounds in today’s sophisticated winter tires maintain their elasticity even in below freezing temperatures.”
When buying winter tires, motorists should look for the mountain snowflake symbol on the sidewall, which means the tire meets or exceeds tire industry snow traction requirements.
Ice or Snow Tires
Winter tires have become so advanced that there are now tires that specialize in the snow or ice. These tires perform well in both conditions, but are designed to be dominant in either snow or ice.
Estupinan says the first step is to determine your needs. Do you drive mostly on the highway, in the city, or in the country? Does your region typically get more ice or heavy drier snow?
Ice tires, such as the GT Radial Champiro IcePro, have a tread design made up of blocks set very close together with many tiny incisions, or sipes, in the blocks to help wick away the water that can form on top of icy roads. In addition, the tread on ice tires usually contains a higher percentage of silica in the compound to help keep the rubber flexible in very cold temperatures.
The GT Radial Champiro IcePro can also be studded which provides even more biting edges but can be noisier when traveling on dry roads.
The tread on snow tires, such as the GT Radial WinterPro, is made up of blocks set further apart in order to ensure better grip in the snow. If you drive in a city that regularly plows its roads and you are less likely to encounter icy roads, then a snow tire is likely your best bet.
Here are some other key considerations:
- Tire inflation pressure can drop quickly during cold spells. Every five degrees Celsius change results in about one psi change in pressure. Tires that are under- or over-inflated have a smaller footprint on the road surface – definitely not want you want when dealing with wintry conditions. Check your air inflation regularly during the winter and adjust it to the psi amount recommended by your vehicle manufacturer (this can be found on the door jam or in the vehicle owner’s manual).
- Do not just install two winter tires! All of your tires (whether that be four or six) should be matching winter tires during the winter season; this is true whether you drive a rear-wheel, front-wheel, four-wheel, or all-wheel-drive vehicle. Winter tires provide so much better traction in wintry conditions than all-season or summer tires; if you only put them on one end of the vehicle, one end of your car will be sticking to the road while the other one is sliding.
Headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, GITI Tire USA is the sales and marketing office in the U.S. for GITI Tire Company, Ltd., which manufactures and sells high quality GT Radial brand tires for passenger, SUV, light truck, truck, bus, and high performance vehicles. GT Radial tires are sold through distributors, independent dealers and retailers in North America. For more information, visit www.gtradial.com.
—