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We are writing this post in mid September knowing that winter is only a few months away and wondering if this year we should put snow tires on the car or just use the all season tires that we have been using for the past couple of years. There is no question that snow tires provide better traction on ice and snow, however with a front wheel drive car, purchasing four new snow tires is an expense we could do with out.

Should you purchase snow tires?

But let’s get back to the main issue of whether we should purchase snow tires or not. Many people will drive with all season tires on their car all year round. In most situations all season tires will do a great job, however there are times during the winter when you might be stuck at work late or at the mall and it is snowing hard making driving conditions very treacherous. All season tires are designed to do a good job in all driving conditions, while snow tires will do a great job in icy conditions.  Would you rather drive on all seasons through six or eight inches of snow or would you rather have snow tires on your car?

There is no question, your car will perform much better in the snow with snow tires and you and your family will be much safer as well. We all know people who say they will just not go out in their car when there is a lot of snow on the ground. For most of the time they may get away with this approach, however sometime during the winter they will get caught in a snow storm and then it is a really scary time on slippery roads.

Snow tires have tread patterns that will grip better on snow covered roads. They are also made of softer rubber which makes them more flexible even in cold weather so that they can actually place more surface area on the ice and snow to get a better grip. Since the rubber is soft, it is not a good idea to continue to use snow tires in warm weather. Soft rubber will wear off the tires more quickly in warm weather.

For the sake of a several hundred dollars why take the chance?

New Rims or Use the Existing Rims

A lot of people will purchase new steel rims to mount their snow tires on so that when it comes to changing tires, they can even do it themselves if they wish. The other main advantage is that you can have the auto shop mount and balance the tires well ahead of the rush that always happens when the first snow falls.

Many people will wait until the last moment so that they can avoid having to pay for the tires until the last minute.  When that first snow comes, they not only risk their vehicles on slippery streets, they also have to stand in line to purchase tires and have them installed.  Purchase them early and store them in your garage for when you need them and install the new rims with the tires already mounted and balanced yourself. Installing four snow tires already mounted on steel rims is no worse than changing a flat tire four times!

Another advantage of using steel rims is that they also protect the more expensive rims that came with the vehicle when it was first purchased  from the salt and slush of winter driving.  Also, every time a mechanic changes tires, there is always some damage to your rims due to scratches from the tools etc, so avoiding tire changes also preserves the shiny new look of your OEM rims.

Legal Requirement

There are some jurisdictions in North America that now require all cars of owners residing in that jurisdiction to have snow tires on their cars during the winter. The Province of Quebec has recently made this into law and a year ago there was a huge rush on by anyone living in Quebec to have snow tires installed on their cars. In fact there was a general shortage of snow tires for a short period since they were in such huge demand.

There are some states and provinces that require snow tires on mountain roads and in some cases chains on tires as well due to the slippery conditions. It is for your own safety, so put them on.

There may be other jurisdictions that have the same requirement for all vehicles however the writer is not aware of any with this requirement. If our readers are aware of any, perhaps you can leave a comment about any that have this requirement for snow tires. Readers should note that visitors are not required to have snow tires on their car.

The province made this significant decisions based on the fact that it would reduce accidents, damage to cars and reduce health costs significantly as well as potential deaths due to slippery roads. Much like the seat belt laws which have been proven to save lives, running snow tires on your car will also save lives and damage.

Snow Tires on all Four wheels?

Some people feel that all they need to do is place snow tires on the drive wheels of their car, even on front wheel drive cars. While it is true they will have better grip when accelerating with snow tires, stopping can be a problem. Application of the brakes on snowy or icy roads may cause the non drive wheels to spin out since they do not have as good a grip and you may find your car spinning in the middle of the road. All dealers today will recommend that you purchase snow tires for all wheels on your car to ensure that each wheel contributes to controlling your car equally on icy roads.

If you are still in doubt about snow tires, just watch a few news stores when there is a major snow storm. Reports of many accidents, with people hurt should be enough to convince you to spend the money on adding snow tires to your vehicle!

Tags: all season tires, snow tires, steel rims, summer tires

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