With winter in full swing, it is important to stay safe on the roads. Wintery conditions like snow, ice, sleet, and freezing rain, can greatly impact driving conditions. That is why it is important to ensure you and your family are safe while you are out on the road. Even if your car has all-season tires, you could still be at risk under snowy and icy conditions. Here are all the reasons you may want to change to winter and snow tires on your car this winter:
Features of Winter Tires
The combination of cold temperatures, ice, and snow can be best met by winter tires, which are specially designed to perform in winter conditions. Many winter tires feature a combination of these techniques to ensure maximum traction and safety:
- Tread Rubber
The rubber compound of an all season tire is designed to deliver higher mileage and a quiet ride. While those are important considerations in tire selection those same features can limit a tire’s ability to perform well in winter conditions. In extremely cold temperatures, the tread rubber of an all-season or summer tire can stiffen and become less able to provide sufficient traction. To combat this, tread rubber compounds of winter tires are designed to remain flexible, allowing the tire to grip the road better.
- Tread and Depth Patterns
A unique feature of winter tires is deeper tread depths and unique tread patterns. Deeper tread depths reduce snow buildup and provide better traction on the snow. Winter tire tread patterns are designed to channel snow and slush and expel water.
- Biting Edges
Winter tires also feature an increased number of biting edges and high sipe densities, or in other words, thousands of tiny slits in the tread that provide traction on ice.
Winter Tires Outperform All-Season Tires
While all-season tires provide a certain level of performance in the snow and ice, when compared to winter tires, the end result is not even close. Winter and snow tires will consistently outperform all-season tires when driving in adverse weather conditions. The more aggressive tread pattern and softer rubber compound will allow you to stop and go when all season tires let you down.
Conclusion
All season tires clearly have their place for many of today’s drivers but if you want maximum winter traction, stopping power, and overall safety for you and your family, you just can’t beat a winter tire. Don’t hesitate to get your car the best protection that you can this winter! If you are looking for winter tires that will give you more traction, better stability, and increased stopping power, look no further than Graham Tire. We have the expertise and products you need to drive safely all winter long! Contact Graham Tire today for any winter or snow tire needs you may have.
