A. If you live in an area where the temperature is consistently below 45 degrees you do.
Winter tires are not like All-Season tires. Winter tires have special rubber compounds designed to
improve traction, handling and braking in all cold weather conditions, not just ice and snow. See
our Tire Safety Below 45° article for more information.
A. Four.
Of the hundreds of questions we get every year regarding winter tires this is the most frequently
asked. The answer is the same for every vehicle type, whether you drive a compact car or SUV
A. For traction, control and safety.
Many people assume that the two drive wheels are most important and the other two tires sort of tag
along. This idea was valid twenty or more years ago when snow tires were different only in their
tread design. Today's winter tires have different compounds and designs that deliver from 25 to 50
percent more traction in snow and ice, and stay pliable in cold weather allowing for more control on
dry roads. Using just two on a vehicle creates a traction mismatch that can have serious handling
consequences. Using four winter tires ensures optimum traction and control for all vehicle types.
It is always recommended to use four winter tires, it's the cheapest insurance you can buy to protect
yourself, your family and others.
A. Running only two winter tires can cause you to lose control of any vehicle. Here's why:
Front Wheel Drive Vehicles
Even though the front wheels are responsible for steering, acceleration and most of the braking,
don't forget about the braking done by the rear wheels. If the rear wheels are not equipped with
winter tires too, you are essentially disabling the rear brakes due to lack of traction. The
following is an example of what can happen using only winter tires on the front.
Traveling along in your neighborhood at 25 mph in just light snow, you begin to slow down to make
a right turn. As you apply the brakes, your winter tires are doing their job, giving you all the
traction you need to slow down. At the same time, the all-season tires on the rear are giving you
much less traction causing the rear of your vehicle to slide around. Perhaps at slow speeds no
harm is done, but what if this had occurred at highway speeds?
Rear Wheel Drive Vehicles
Many people think that winter tires on the rear will solve the acceleration problem in ice and
snow. However, getting your vehicle to accelerate is only half the battle, because you still
need to stop. The majority of braking is done with the front brakes, and failing to put tires
designed for cold weather on the front of the vehicle can have disastrous consequences. Also,
keep in mind that steering is the sole function of the front tires. With insufficient traction
on the front tires, it's like not being able to firmly grasp the steering wheel.
Now that you know this, how confident would you feel if your vehicle was equipped with only rear
winter tires? What if you were driving on snow, ice, or even cold pavement at 45 mph and suddenly
had to brake and swerve to avoid an accident? Chances are you would be unable to stop and turn in
time.
All-Wheel Drive or Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles
During the winter you would never purposefully disconnect your four-wheel drive and use just
two-wheel drive instead. Yet that is exactly what you are doing if you use just two winter tires.
The traction mismatch basically "disconnects" the two other wheels not equipped with winter tires.
This leaves you open to the control problems cited in the other two sections, depending upon where
you mount the winter tires.
A. Yes.
Even though traction control optimizes the traction of your tires in adverse conditions by preventing
wheel spin, this specialized system does not create additional tire traction. Traction always depends
on the four contact patches created by the tires. The better traction your tires provide, the more
effectively the traction control system will help you drive more safely. Cold temperatures will cause
all-season compounds to harden, losing pliability and traction. See our
Winter Tires vs. All-Season Tires article for more information.
A. No.
An ABS braking system prevents "locking-up" the brakes by "pulsing" them as you apply pressure to the
pedal. Remember that the tires on your vehicle supply the traction and help the ABS deliver faster
stops. Tires built with better winter traction will improve overall braking performance on ice, snow,
and cold roads. |
