Snow tires should be a critical part of your winter safety preparedness, according to CAA Atlantic’s Vice President of Communications.
Gary Howard says with all the variations of winter weather we get in Atlantic Canada, snow tires are crucial.
“The great thing about snow tires is they will actually reduce your stop time by about 25%,” says Howard. “The thing that makes the snow tire that much better is it’s essentially softer so it gets better grip and the tread is much better for moving the water, or the slush or the snow out.”
Howard says you must get all four snow tires for them to be truly effective.
“You can’t have different treads on different parts, some people if they have front wheel drive they’ll just put snow tires on the front,” says Howard. “The best analogy is if you do that that’s like wearing a slipper on one foot and a boot on the other, so don’t mix and match your treads.”
Howard also says the a common complaint they hear is having to buy winter tires simply costs too much.
“Well, actually it doesn’t, because your winters and your summers will last twice as long so it makes sure your two sets of tires last longer, so there’s no financial impact at all,” explains Howard.
He goes on to say it’s not just about snow tires, because you must also be thinking and driving defensively in winter, particularly when the roads are messy.
Howard says you must pay attention to how others are driving, and be sure to give fellow motorists extra time and space to maneuver.
Finally, Howard says there are some additional advantages to having snow tires as some insurance companies, like that affiliated with CAA, do provide discounts if you are running with snow tires.
