Q. Do I need winter tires? A. If you live in an area where the temperature is consistently below 45
degrees you do.
Winter tires are not like All-Season tires. Winter tires have special rubber
compounds designed to improve traction, handling and braking in all cold weather
conditions, not just ice and snow. See our
Winter Tires - Safety Below 45° article for more information.
Q. How many winter tires are recommended? A. Four.
Of the hundreds of questions we get every year regarding winter tires this is
the most frequently asked. The answer is the same for every vehicle type,
whether you drive a compact car or SUV.
Q. Why are four winter tires recommended? A. For traction, control and safety.
Many people assume that the two drive wheels are most important and the other
two tires sort of tag along. This idea was valid twenty or more years ago when
snow tires were different only in their tread design. Today's winter tires have
different compounds and designs that deliver from 25 to 50 percent more traction
in snow and ice, and stay pliable in cold weather allowing for more control on
dry roads. Using just two on a vehicle creates a traction mismatch that can have
serious handling consequences. Using four winter tires ensures optimum traction
and control for all vehicle types. It is always recommended to use four winter
tires, it's the cheapest insurance you can buy to protect yourself, your family
and others.
Q. What can happen if I only use two winter tires? A. Running only two winter tires can cause you to lose control of any vehicle. Here’s why:
Front-Wheel Drive Vehicles
Even though the front wheels are responsible for steering, acceleration and most
of the braking, don't forget about the braking done by the rear wheels. If the
rear wheels are not equipped with winter tires too, you are essentially
disabling the rear brakes due to lack of traction. The following is an example
of what can happen using only winter tires on the front.
Traveling along in your neighborhood at 25 mph in just light snow, you begin to
slow down to make a right turn. As you apply the brakes, your winter tires are
doing their job, giving you all the traction you need to slow down. At the same
time, the all-season tires on the rear are giving you much less traction causing
the rear of your vehicle to slide around. Perhaps at slow speeds no harm is
done, but what if this had occurred at highway speeds?
Rear-Wheel Drive Vehicles
Many people think that winter tires on the rear will solve the acceleration
problem in ice and snow. However, getting your vehicle to accelerate is only
half the battle, because you still need to stop. The majority of braking is done
with the front brakes, and failing to put tires designed for cold weather on the
front of the vehicle can have disastrous consequences. Also, keep in mind that
steering is the sole function of the front tires. With insufficient traction on
the front tires, it's like not being able to firmly grasp the steering wheel.
Now that you know this, how confident would you feel if your vehicle was
equipped with only rear winter tires? What if you were driving on snow, ice, or
even cold pavement at 45 mph and suddenly had to brake and swerve to avoid an
accident? Chances are you would be unable to stop and turn in time.
All-Wheel Drive or Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles
During the winter you would never purposefully disconnect your four-wheel drive
and use just two-wheel drive instead. Yet that is exactly what you are doing if
you use just two winter tires. The traction mismatch basically "disconnects" the
two other wheels not equipped with winter tires. This leaves you open to the
control problems cited in the other two sections, depending upon where you mount
the winter tires.
Q. Do I need winter tires to improve traction if my vehicle has Traction
Control? A. Yes.
Even though traction control optimizes the traction of your tires in adverse
conditions by preventing wheel spin, this specialized system does not create
additional tire traction. Traction always depends on the four contact patches
created by the tires. The better traction your tires provide, the more
effectively the traction control system will help you drive more safely. Cold
temperatures will cause all-season compounds to harden, losing pliability and
traction. See our
Winter Tires - Safety Below 45° article for more information.
Q. My vehicle has ABS brakes; does that eliminate the need for winter tires? A. No.
An ABS braking system prevents "locking-up" the brakes by "pulsing" them as you
apply pressure to the pedal. Remember that the tires on your vehicle supply the
traction and help the ABS deliver faster stops. Tires built with better winter
traction will improve overall braking performance on ice, snow, and cold roads.
