Winter tires vs all season tires

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While it hasn’t snowed here yet, we know it’s coming eventually.

Every winter there’s a debate about how all season tires compare to winter tires when it comes to driving on snow and ice.

Adam Atkinson stopped by a Hamilton garage this afternoon, to put an end to that debate.

Garages throughout Southern Ontario are busy, so their customers are ready for snow.

The experts at Beech Motorworks in Hamilton say, that when it comes to safety, winter tires are the way to go.

“On an all season tire, your stopping distance at a 100km’s an hour in a panic situation hypothetically will be 100 feet. With winter tires that distance would be 60 feet, which will save you from 90% of the accidents that happen in the winter time.” said Clint Giles, who works at Beech Motorworks.

Winter tires are just made differently than all seasons.

“Its the composition of what a tire is made, a lot of the manufacturers have compositions that get softer as the temperature drops. It’s a gum rubber that they use that’s very soft and pliable.”

Some insurance companies are already offering an incentive for drivers to install winter tires. The companies that aren’t offering the incentive yet will have to by the end of the year.

“Depending on the company, they’ll take 3-5% off your annual fee, against the collision side. For the average driver it should affect you $80-100 a year.” said Clint

The insurance rebate won’t even come close to covering the cost of 1 winter tire. For example, if you were to put 4 winter tires and rims on a honda civic or ford focus, it will cost you anywhere from $1200-$1500.”

“There’s still lots of good value products out there to save yourself some money. I would contend that even the lower end winter tire, you’re still head and shoulders better than the best all season tire.”

Another way to look at it, all season tires have a section of the tire dedicated to gripping on ice, as opposed to the whole winter tire made for such conditions.