Personalized Tire Advice: Should I Use All-Weather Tires In Canada?

Are all-weather tires enough to get you through cold Canadian winters? In today’s post, we tackle this common consumer question. Read on or contact your local TIRECRAFT for a personalized all-weather tire consultation.

All-Weather Tire Talk: Do I Need Winter Tires To Drive In Canada?

According to the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada’s (TRAC) 2020 Canadian Consumer Winter Tire Study, nearly three-quarters (72%) of Canadians now use winter tires.

“They can provide extra traction and keep you in control on icy roads,” says Sergeant Kerry Schimdt, head of the Ontario Provincial Police’s Highway Safety Division. In some cases, snow tires can reduce your stopping distances by 30 to 40 percent, and in the TRAC study, 81% of respondents said snow tires saved them from “being involved in a potentially hazardous driving situation, such as loss of control or a collision.”

Clearly, there’s no denying both the popularity and effectiveness of snow tires in Canada, but are they a winter driving essential?

The answer to this question depends on several individual factors, like where you live. For example, if you live in Windsor, Ontario’s warmest city come winter, there might be no need for heavy-duty traction and cold-weather compounds. In fact, using snow tires on usually warm winter days can actually be dangerous, since the rubber is designed to work best at temperatures of 7 degrees Celsius or less.

You’ll also need to consider your personal driving needs. For those who live in warmer areas and describe themselves as “city drivers,” limiting their driving to daily commutes and the occasional outing or errand run, it might not make much sense to invest in a serious winter set.

But even if you demand more from your vehicle’s performance, and your town gets plenty of snow and ice, winter tires aren’t your only option for winter safety anymore. That’s because there’s a new category of tires in town, one that offers the savings and convenience of all-seasons, with supercharged winter performance potential: the all-weather tire.

A True Four-Season Experience: All-Weather Tire Benefits

“One larger compromise drivers in certain regions have traditionally faced is having to switch to dedicated winter tires in cold months,” writes Daniel Kelly, product planner at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “All-weather tires give drivers the ability to keep the same tires year-round with the confidence of 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake-certified performance.”

These are just a few of the features that make all-weather tires a great winter tire alternative:

• Increased sipe density on the inside treads for improved traction on ice and snow
• Lower sipe density on the outside treads to increase traction on wet and dry roads
• Snow claws for increased traction in deep snow
• Increased block rigidity for better traction in icy and wet conditions
• Slush grooves to boost traction, evacuate slush, and prevent hydroplaning when driving in snow or rain

Free All-Weather Tire Talk: Book A Consultation At TIRECRAFT

If you want to learn more about all-weather tires, and browse all the top all-weather tire lineups under one roof, contact your local TIRECRAFT to book a free consultation!

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