When winter comes close and roads are covered with snow and thin layer of ice, it is time to think of snow tires. While people in the South have no troubles, the drivers in the Snow Belt area should think of some change for their vehicles because snow tires provide safety and save money.

The vice president of America’s largest independent tire dealer Tire Rack, Matt Edmonds, says, “When the weather gets bad and we want the ultimate in terms of control and safety, we put on a good pair of winter boots. The same goes for tires.” It is much easier for a person to change one pair of shoes to another than to switch tires on a vehicle, but tires get changed only once in the season: starting with colder months and all the way till spring warmth a vehicle should have snow tires. The automotive services have a saying for tire-change season: “T-day to T-day” which means that winter tires should be put on from Thanksgiving Day to Tax Day.

It is not true that snow tires are only needed in case of snow or ice. Traction problems start at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit: standard tires lose grip and flexibility. When the temperature goes down to 32 degrees many summer tires become so stiff that they do not have any traction. Snow tires are, on the contrary, designed to provide better traction on snow, ice, slush and at low temperatures. They have good tread depth which increases traction and contain silicone-rubber compounds which provide flexibility even in cold winter weather.

Decades ago customers had to watch for traction or wear ratings, temperature level labeled on tires, but in 1999 the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association or RMA and the Rubber Association of Canada or RAC have set an agreement for certain standards on handing and traction criteria for snow tires. Since then the only feature a customer should look for is a “snowflake in the mountain” logo on the side walls of the tires.

There are two types of winter tires to choose from: studless ice-and-snow tires which are made from special silicone-rubber compound which gives better traction on ice and snow; and performance winter tires which are stiffer to provide better control over a vehicle on dry surfaces. If a car owner is not sure what type of tires to chose from, a local tire service will give advice based on the climate area the vehicle is driven in most often.

Matt Edmonds also recommends using winter tires in sets of four. While some people put better tires on rear- or front-drive wheels, it is significantly safer to let the vehicle “wear” all four tires of the same style and quality. The two wheels that do not have snow tires might lose traction while cornering or braking and cause spinning out.

A big drawback of snow tires is their high price: depending on the size, winter tires might cost from $50 to $200 each. Specialists also recommend buying four extra wheels. While it sounds like a waste of money, there is still some sense in the advice. First of all when tires have to be changed for the right season, it is easier to swap the whole wheel instead of a tire. This also reduces wear and tear on the existing tires and makes them last longer.

If used properly a good set of winter tires will easily last for three driving seasons. When warmer time comes they have to be changed back to summer tires. Since snow tires have special compounds which make them softer, they wear out quicker in warm temperatures. This is the time when cheaper summer tires are more beneficial.

Terry Jack