The winter tires you put on your car are essential, even if you don’t live in very snowy weather. Here are the things you should know about winter tires and how they can keep you safe in winter weather.
Winter tires are safer than all-season tires
Despite what you may have heard, all-season tires are not safe all the time. Instead, they should be called mild-season tires. The rubber used in all-season tires will be fine until the temperature starts to drop.
Once your thermometer reaches 7°C, it may be time to change your tires. This happens when all-season tires start to harden and hard tires lose traction, which is worse on winter roads. Winter tires are made from a special type of rubber that performs best in cold weather.
You May Need Winter Tires Even When There’s No Snow
While the tread found on winter tires is good for use on snow, ice, and slush, it is a good idea to get winter tires even if you are not driving in these conditions. Again, this is because unlike the rubber found in other types of tires, the rubber used to make winter tires remains soft and flexible even when the weather is cold. If your car doesn’t have winter tires, its cold-weather performance will be compromised, even if you’re driving on dry roads.
The tread design on winter tires decreases slipping and sliding
Winter tires use a single-directional tread pattern, which helps them perform well in wet road conditions. These are deep, one-sided grooves that prevent hydroplaning by pumping water through the tread. The moisture is forced out and away from the tire so that your wheel can make contact with dry land.
You should check your winter tire pressure regularly
Tire pressure can drop dramatically when it’s cold outside. As the temperature drops, the air pressure decreases. Low tire pressure can reduce traction, handling, and durability, all of which are important when driving in winter. Check your tire pressure often when it’s cold, and make sure it’s meeting the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle. Checking tire pressure is so easy, you might even want to get it done before you head out for your morning coffee run.
No need to spend an arm and a leg on winter tires
Staying safe on the road is invaluable, however, your tires don’t need to do the same. There are many winter tire options out there that are fairly affordable yet give you all of the great features that come with putting winter tires on your car.
Winter tires are something that is very essential yet very misunderstood. Of all the misconceptions about winter tires, this one is going to cost you an arm and a leg. Winter tires don’t need to be expensive, and they don’t need to take a lot of time to install.
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