Can’t get winter tires? Opt for all-weather ones, says tire expert

People have many reasons for not owning winter tires, like cost or not having the storage space.

If one set of tires is all somebody can own, Bill Gardiner from Kal Tire recommends all-weather tires.

“It has the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol. It is an appropriate tire for winter driving and that would be your very bare-bones minimum thing you should have on your vehicle for winter driving,” Gardiner said during the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Tuesday.

All-weather tires should not be confused with all-season tires, or as Gardiner calls them, three-season tires. Those lose their grip when the temperature drops below 7 C and, in his words, are “virtually useless” in snow and ice.

However, Gardiner said drivers should have winter tires.

For those who want even more traction, consider studded tires.

“On average, a studded winter tire will stop approximately five metres shorter than a vehicle with a non-studded winter tire. It’s another level of performance over and above the winter tire,” Gardiner said.

While those tires are known for being noisy, Gardiner said their designs have changed in recent years to make them less noticeable.

“Where the stud interfaces with the tire at the back of the stud, they’ve put a cushioning strip in there. It reduces the impact on the road, which reduces the wear on the road and it reduces the amount of noise that the tire produces,” he said.

Vehicles come with various safety features like traction control and anti-lock brakes but safety still comes down to where the rubber meets the road.

“If you’ve got better grip from your tires, your braking system is going to work better, you can steer better (and) a collision-avoidance manoeuvre can be done,” Gardiner said.