Having your car equipped with snow tires is a little like carrying an umbrella or getting a flu shot. Most of the time you can get along fine without them, but when the need arises suddenly, you’ll really wish you had them. If you’re saying, “I have all-season tires,” most experts agree that you really don’t. You’re driving on rubber that can be called most-season at best.
“Most new vehicles come with what they say are all-season tires, but they don’t give the traction you need in the Northeast,” contends Bob Prendergast, marketing manager for the 52-shop Kost Tire and Auto Care. “Texas, Florida, no problems, but when they get in this type of weather, they spin.”
Local drivers who stayed with their year-round tires last winter no doubt felt pretty smart when spring arrived as the incredibly mild winter seldom caused any worries on Syracuse streets. But we all know that was an anomaly and the odds aren’t good that winter 2012-2013 will provide a repeat performance.
There was a time—before front-wheel drive cars, and so-called all-weather radials—when nearly all drivers switched to winter tires for four months each year. But consider this: Now that you’re driving a vehicle that’s better in winter than your 1971 Duster and tire technology has advanced considerably from the white-wall recaps you used to run, think how much better you’ll do by fitting your better-handling car with higher-quality tires with the thick, gnarly treads that are molded into 21st-century snow tires.
High-tech rubber composition and well-researched construction methods make modern tires better in winter conditions. “There is a rubber compound issue,” Prendergast says. “The softer rubber compound is made to be not so brittle in the colder weather. It gives a little more. Obviously the tread pattern helps; they’re made to pick up snow and spread it out away from the tire. It’s called siping; that’s your tread grooves on the sides.”
Ironically, the engineering that goes into modern tire technology also makes a case for using the same four tires year-round, even from December through March, provided you make sure yours measure up in terms of quality and condition.
“It’s most important to ensure that you’re driving on good all-season or, as they’re sometimes called, three-season tires that have adequate tread depth,” asserts AAA Fleet Operations assistant manager Mike Costigan. “Snow tires provide additional traction. It’s a matter of personal preference. I use snow tires; that’s my preference.”
“We do stud tires,” says Prendergast. “The new tires coming out within the past five to six years with a new compound are called studless tires. Studies have shown them to be almost better than with tungsten carbide studs. The industry is going more with the studless tire like the Bridgestone Blizzak—they’re the ones who came out with it probably 10 years ago. That new studless ice tire is the hot-seller these days.”
Since Kost has dealerships throughout Pennsylvania and New York, as far north as Watertown, they encounter drivers who feel the need to stud their tires, although they make driving on dry roads a little rougher and a lot noisier and can damage the pavement. “Studs don’t do much except on solid, packed snow or ice,” Costigan says. “Communities around here do a pretty good job of plowing, so we don’t get much of that locally. Studs may actually be more detrimental than helpful when driving on wet pavement.”
Most states, including New York, have laws that restrict studded tires to the most-wintry months, while some areas outlaw them entirely, one of several reasons drivers should think twice before adding them to tires. “On a studded tire, your braking distances go up,” Prendergast asserts. “And if you have a steep driveway and they start spinning, you’ll tear your driveway up.”
Some drivers use snows on the two drive wheels, in most cases the front wheels, taking advantage of the engine weight, but using four will get you more for your money. “It’s most important to use four snow tires if you use snow tires,” Costigan contends. “Some people say you can get away with two, but four is the best option. It increases traction twofold.”
Drivers who outfit their vehicles with two snow tires should definitely not try to compensate by putting weight in the trunk, as was often done on rear-drive cars. “Most front-wheel drive vehicles require four snow tires,” Prendergast concurs. “What happens on the back is the traction is so good, you go into a corner and the back will tend to sway around. That can cause more problems than not having snow tires. Putting weight in the trunk is a mistake. It has the absolutely opposite effect.”
No one wants to spend more money than
absolutely necessary on tires, but if you lose control because your
tires are inadequate, an accident can get pretty expensive when you
factor in insurance deductibles, possible medical expenses and lost work
hours. “Depending on the sizing, you can get snow tires for $50 or $60
all the way up to $300 or $400,” Prendergast estimates. “People should
look at their insurance deductible. If you’ve got a $1,000 insurance
deductible, it’s cheaper to buy a couple hundred dollars worth of snow
tires.”
Over the course of a few years, cost will equalize since your summer tires wear less while stored for the winter as you drive on your snows. If you spring for an extra set of rims to avoid twice-a-year remounting, you will spend a bit more. “It’s a personal preference thing,” Prendergast concedes. “The new {tire mounting} machines don’t beat the tires up as much as they used to. It costs 30 or 40 bucks to get them transferred over every year. New wheels probably go $80 to $100 apiece. It’s a monetary decision, too. The majority of people do not buy separate wheels.”
On pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, all-season tires may be termed all-terrain and may provide plenty of winter traction. “If their all-seasons are doing good, they’ve got no problem,” Prendergast says. “Their driving habits come into play. A lot of people that have four-wheel drive, they work fine for them. If they want a little more traction and extra benefit, with lighter vehicles, they may want to get snow tires.”
There are a lot of considerations that go into deciding if you need snow tires and it’s a good idea to do your own research and talk to your tire pro. Certainly using quality tires in good condition will contribute to safer winter motoring, but following safe driving protocol is the key to making it to spring accident-free.
“A good all-season tire with adequate tread depth is most important, especially as winter approaches,” Costigan points out. “Tires do help, but preparation and allotting enough time for trips is most important. Drivers have to reduce speeds and allow enough stopping distance on snowy roads.”