Where The Rubber Meets The Road

Where the rubber meets the road (or the snow and ice)…put your best foot (tire) forward!

Only a small footprint (about fist size) of your tires actually contacts the road.  That makes it even more important to have the right tire tread that will hug the road when stopping, accelerating and navigating turns.  Especially important during winter weather, with black ice, snow pack and limited visibility.

Do you need “winter” tires?  Even performance on all-wheel drive vehicles will improve with better traction.  Winter tires are designed specifically to handle snow and icy road conditions in two different ways.

First, they are constructed of a rubber compound that will remain soft even in very cold temperatures, thus bending and flexing and adhering to the road, resulting in better contact and traction.  Second, the treads are designed to have more edges, called “sipes,” that grip the snow and ice more effectively.  Treads are deeper and channel snow and slush away from the tread to further help with traction on the road.

Tests conducted on stopping distances for winter tires compared to all-season tires and summer tires showed that it took significantly longer to stop – 16-18% longer for all-season and more than 120% for summer tires (Edmonds.com).  So, if stopping is important to you in wintery conditions, winter tires would be a good investment.

Of course, if the tread depth on any tire is worn below 2/32”, those tires will perform more like a sled and you will not obtain grip on any road the way you expect or desire.  Air pressure should also be checked more frequently during the winter, as changes in temperatures can result in loss of air pressure and less traction.

If you are driving in the mountains or on long road trips during the winter, be prepared for even more severe weather, and carry a set of chains and a bag of sand in your vehicle for those times of severe weather and ice.

Winter tires will not prevent all weather-related accidents, and will not make up for poor winter driving.  Leave more room between you and the car ahead of you, and slow down.  An accident will make you much later for that important meeting!  More winter weather is on its way, so be prepared and check your tires before you go “slip sliding away”!

If you live in Colorado Springs, talk with Honest Accurate Auto Service about your needs for winter tires: