How To Choose A Good Snow Tire
If you live in a snowy climate, you must equip yourself to drive in the snow. Your choice of vehicle is important, but so is your choice of tire. A good all-weather tire will handle well in the snow, but well is not good enough. You can exceed the grip ability of your tires multiple times in one day.
If you have to be out on snowy roads a lot, then you want a tire that will be able to handle snowy and/or icy roads, and for that, you need to look for a well-designed snow tire:
Look for Name Brand
Snow tires are a product of research and development and that costs money. Discount tire brands won't have the funds to dump into researching snow tires, so they might have snow tires to offer you, but they won't perform as well as the name brand tires.
A good set of snow tires will stop nearly as quickly on dry pavement as all-weather tires and they will offer you unparalleled traction on snowy and icy roads. Because roads typically will not stay snowed over all winter long, having a tire that will perform well on both snowy and dry roads is a must.
Consider Siping
Another way to create a snow tire is to have your existing tires siped. Siping is what it is called when you cut slits into your tires at right angles to each other. Thousands of slits are cut into your tires. These slits open when you brake on an icy road and increase the surface area of your tires, which will increase your stopping power.
Tire manufacturers will not send tires out with siping in place because it can decrease the longevity of your tires, but you can also take your tires to a tire store to have them siped. This may be a way to decrease cost, but because it can also weaken your tires, you need to consider whether it is worth it to decrease the life of your tires before you have them cut.
Traction control and all-wheel drive are helpful, but they won't be enough if your tires lose traction. This is where snow tires can be a lifesaver.
If you really want to keep your car, yourself, and your family safe, buying a set of snow tires can be worth the cost. Because you only use your snow tires part of the year, you save wear on both your all-weather tires and your snow tires, so you might be able to go longer without buying replacement tires.
To learn more, contact a company like Bearsch's United Auto Center with any questions or concerns you have.