Winter is fast approaching, and that means it’s time to think about appropriate winter tires for your vehicle. At your local Martinsville car dealership, they can help you select tires that are suitable for your specific make and model. Several websites also provide rankings of individual tire brands and evaluate them based on multiple factors important for winter-weather driving. What follows are four reasons for you to consider investing in winter tires for the upcoming season.
Increased Grip and Larger Treads
Winter tires are made from softer rubber in general, which makes them more flexible and ideal for driving on slippery surfaces. Their flexibility allows them to conform to the road better, improving grip and traction as you drive, whether the road is snowy, slushy or icy.
Winter tires also have larger, deeper tread patterns that are specifically designed to divert water away from the tire, preventing hydroplaning and allowing the tires to come in contact with the road surface.
Creates an Excellent Combination with AWD/4WD Vehicles
SUVs, trucks and other vehicles equipped with AWD/4WD drivetrains helps you mostly with acceleration and staying straight on the road while you’re driving in inclement weather, but they don’t help you with stopping or taking sharp turns. This is where winter tires come in—the type of rubber makes all the difference. If you have an all-wheel drive car with summer tires trying to make it up a snowy hill, they’ll have a difficult time with it, as well as if they’re trying to stop on a slippery road. Equip that same vehicle with winter tires, however, and they’ll have no problem conquering a snowy hill or stopping on a slippery surface.
Reduces Your Risk of Accidents
Consider this—in 2008, Germany instituted a mandatory law that all vehicles must be equipped with winter tires during snowy months. Before they instituted this mandate, there were over 12,000 car crashes in 2005. In 2008, that number had been reduced to 6,033, and it’s thought that the new law regarding winter tires was a big part of that. In general, winter tires make it easier to stop—all-season tires, in the freezing cold weather, increase stopping distances by 30 to 40 percent. Specialized winter tires stop you sooner, decreasing your chances of getting into an accident.
Extends the Life of Your All-Season Tires
Switching out summer tires for winter tires each year from a Martinsville car dealership or elsewhere will extend the life of your all-season tires. You’ll be able to run them longer since you’re not using them in the cold weather. As all-season tires age, they harden and have reduced tread, making it more difficult to drive in the winter, when you most need optimal traction.
As the colder months approach, be sure to find a pair of winter tires that suit your vehicle’s make and model, and you’ll be thankful you did when you’re commuting on snow-covered roads this winter
