Do I Really Need Winter Tires? - Precision Auto Service

Answer: Yes

Weather forecasters are always predicting…, but we all know how accurate they are!

While we never know how much snow there will be, this doesn’t mean you don’t need winter tires. You may be wondering why you would need winter tires when you likely won’t be driving in the snow that much, or at all. The answer to that is simply, science.

Tire manufacturers have understood that most common driving conditions in the Winter is not snow, it’s colder weather, rain, and even ice. So over the last years, they’ve formulated a rubber compound and tread just for these conditions. Regular all-season tires would be better described as three-season tires as once winter arrives and the cold sets in, the rubber loses its properties that allow them to provide traction. This happens once the temperature is below 7 degrees Celsius. Winter tires continue to perform as designed in these temperatures.

Also, gone are the days of big knobby ‘snow’ tires that create a lot of road noise, as well as not performing in the wet weather. New ‘winter’ tires have special tread compounds and extra “siping” where the tread pattern has hundreds and thousands of little slits on the tread blocks to allow water, snow, and ice to actually become a positive factor creating grip by creating substantially more surface area. The design also reduces a lot of the road noise that you may have been used to in the past, making for a comfortable ride without sacrificing safety.

While there is no price on safety, some people are concerned with the cost, but winter tires are a long term investment that in the end can cost very little. As you are using your winter tires in the winter, your all-season tires are taking a nice vacation from wear – in storage, you won’t need to replace them as often, making the winter tire set almost pay for itself by extending the life of your all-season tires!