This is a really good question. Most new vehicles come with all-season tires that work pretty well in the winter conditions many auto owners encounter. First, let’s talk about the things that dedicated winter tires do really well, touch on all-seasons, and then you should have some information to help you in your tire selection.
The first thing about winter is that it’s cold. The rubber compound used in summer and all-season tires gets a bit hard when Illinois temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter tires, on the other hand, stay more pliable as the thermometer drops. This means better dry road traction in the cold.
Ice and snow is the next thing car owners worry about during Illinois winters. Now some auto owners live where there is a lot of snow, a lot of the time. Extreme winter condition snow tires have a tread design that cuts into and expels deep snow for maximum traction. These tires have a mountain and snowflake icon on the sidewall of the tire.
If you live in Illinois where the ice and snow are more moderate you can still benefit from winter tires. Their tread has many small “cuts” called sipes that really help them get a grip on ice.
Now, all-season tires are a year-round compromise between high summer performance and high winter performance. They just don’t handle either extreme as well as do dedicated summer or winter tires for Illinois driving. For example, winter tires offer 25% to 50% more traction than all-season tires. And studies have shown that all-season tires can take upwards of 40% longer to stop than winter tires. This could be enough difference to prevent getting stuck or in an accident.
So what’s best for you? Look at the conditions in which you drive in Illinois throughout the year and how critical performance is to you. For many car owners that put a premium on handling performance, dedicated summer tires in summer and dedicated winter tires in the winter (for cold as well as ice and snow) are what they need to satisfy their performance needs. Douglas Automotive Repair, Inc. will mount different tires depending on the season.
We can help you elect a great all-season tire if that is what best suits your needs. No matter which route you take, remember that quality tires are not immune to the laws of physics – so it’s vital to drive safely in all road conditions. Give us a call today.
This entry was posted in Safety, Tires, Winter and tagged Safety, tires, Winter on .
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