Author: Ursula Nizalowski
As the weather gradually becomes colder, it’s a sign that winter isn’t too far away. Therefore, one must consider the kind of tires that would be suitable. Namely, snow tires vs all season tires. While the term ‘snow tires’ isn’t used as much by tire manufactures, who have now started referring to them as ‘winter tires’ instead, they still have the same purpose of being fitted to cars for driving in cold weather conditions. But what makes them different from the all-season tires that are on cars for the rest of the year? Physically, snow tires have deeper treads with more slits for better traction while all-season ones have less thickness in their treads and fewer slits. With that said, there are advantages and disadvantages to both kinds of tires depending on when they’re used.
All-Season Tires
Commonly known as ‘regular tires,’ all-season tires are what most people have attached to their cars during the summer, spring, and fall. That’s because they perform fine in warmer temperatures, and typically last longer than tires built for specific seasons. Now while all-season tires can handle a mild amount of rain or snow, they don’t perform well compared to summer tires as far as traction. There’s also the fact that all-season tires lose their grip when enough snow piles up, which could be dangerous or even fatal to the driver.
Snow Tires/Winter Tires
Besides their physical characteristics, snow tires are also different from all-season tires because of the rubber compound that makes up their treads. While all-season tires become stiff in cold temperatures, snow tires do not due to their increased flexibility. Thus, they don’t freeze as easily as all-season tires and can handle winter weather perfectly well including snow and slush. However, when the weather gets warmer these tires wear down more quickly than all-season or summer tires and have to be replaced frequently. Also, they’re less responsive on drier pavement for similar reasons. So in case of any car accidents in warm or cold weather, contact attorney Rick Wagner.
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