If you’re reading this and you’re from the prairies or the east coast, you probably get a good chuckle when someone mentions driving around the lower mainland in one of our “snowstorms.”
But for those who don’t live in Ontario or Saskatchewan, you may not be as comfortable.
Did you know that winter tires serve a much bigger purpose than having the right tread pattern while driving in the snow? It seemed appropriate to share a few tips with you, since the cold, wet, winter season is soon to waken from its slumber…
1. It’s more than just tread. Many think that the only reason winter tires are effective in the snow is their aggressive tread pattern. However, this is only half the battle. What many people don’t know is that regular all-season tires, even in normal weather conditions, actually start losing their gripping ability at temperatures below 8 degrees celsius. To prevent this, winter tires are actually made of a different rubber compound that, when combined with a more aggressive tread pattern, greatly improve your vehicle’s gripping ability and safety on the road.
2. Save your chrome and alloy wheels. These are pretty pieces of metal, and you probably want to keep them that way. With all the salt and gravel on the road in the winter and year-after-year abuse, your wheels are most susceptible to begin deterioration quickest. Consider getting a basic set of steel wheels that you can throw your winter tires on, and you can count on your alloys or chrome looking best when summer time comes around.
3. Peace of mind. Don’t let your pride or ego get the best of you. I’ve been guilty myself of trying to ‘tough it out’ for a winter and drive around with all-seasons because I was overly confident in my driving ability. Well, one night of driving downhill, in the snow, and a close call was enough to scare me into driving with winter tires every year since. And especially if you have others in the family driving a vehicle, you owe it to them to drive at the highest level of safety, and to yourself to have the peace-of-mind that they will be safe.
4. Don’t rely on traction control and abs. Traction control and Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) do not improve your traction. Traction control prevents your wheels from spinning out during acceleration, and ABS prevents you from locking up your wheels up when braking. Only winter tires will improve your traction and the effectiveness of both these systems.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6704507
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