Winter Tire Technology
Winter Tire Technology has dramatically changed over the last couple of decades, especially in the chemistry of tread rubber. In many of the premium winter tires, silica has been added which allows the biting edges of a tire to remain soft and pliable, even at extremely cold temperatures. All-season tires do not have such tread rubber, and may tend to harden up in extreme cold, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the tire at these temperatures.
This is exceptional technology, especially on our greatest fear in Northern Ontario: ICE and HARD PACKED SNOW.
Royal Tire Owner's Tip
When checking out winter tires, we like to do the "Thumb and Smile" test: take your thumb and firmly drag or tug down the face of a winter tire tread and open the blades or sipes of the tread, making them smile at you.
The less force you have to use on your thumb to make the smile means the tire has increased softness, and therefore better traction to grip ice and hard packed snow. The firmer the force use, the less likely the tire will remain pliable as you may need in extreme temperatures.
Winter tires are compounded specifically for the winter months, and should not be driven during any other season; Royal Tire recommends changing your winter tires to all season tires before the warm months of spring and summer.
Transport Canada recommends four winter tires be installed on your vehicle for added safety, and you can visit the following links for more information on winter tires, and tire safety in general:
Studded Winter Tires
In Ontario, effective December 2005 and north of Parry Sound only, studded winter tires become legal for the time period of October 1 to April 30. For more information on studded tires in Ontario, please review the Ministry of Transportation Website.
All Season Tires
All-season tires are just that; tires that perform well for 12 months of the year.
An all-season tire's tread rubber chemistry is designed to keep mileages high during the hot summer months, while providing traction on dry and wet roads, and even into the months where that surprise snowfall hits.
With increases in tire technology over the past 20 years, there are now new breeds of all-season tire which offers increased benefits such as wet pavement traction, fuel efficiency, and better mileage; some tires also offer ice and snow traction (primarily, these tires are in P-Series tires for SUV’s).
Tires rated with a snowflake can be used for winter driving; the following is an excerpt from the Transport Canada website:
"Tires marked with the pictograph of a peaked mountain with a snowflake meet specific snow traction performance requirements, and have been designed specifically for use in severe snow conditions."
⇒ see full article on Transport Canada Website
If an all-season tire has the snowflake marking, then that tire may be an acceptable tire choice for your vehicle. Regarding any tire choice, your driving needs and vehicle must be taken into consideration; Royal Tire would be pleased to inform you about tire selection for your vehicle.
Find Tires For Your Vehicle
Here are links to the tire selectors for various manufacturers of tires that Royal Tire carries:
AIR MILES PARTNER
AIR MILES are always available on retail automotive and light truck tire sales, as well as mechanical service offerings (at participating Royal Tire locations)