Do you change car tires by season? If you don’t, I want you to read this information. We will provide the importance of changing car tires by season for your safe driving.

What if you don’t change car tires in winter? 2 Risks you might face

Let’s face it, Ontario is beautiful – but it’s not all that great. Yes, it has the beautiful waters of Tobermory, amazing landscapes, and is just buzzing with wonderful cultures and backgrounds. However, there’s one thing that can make all that serenity seem almost not worth it. Hazardous winter conditions can be ill-prepared for and often result from not changing car tires.

7/10 (69%) of Canadian drivers outside of Quebec are now riding with winter tires.

There are 2 risks you must know if you don’t change car tires in winter.

Risk1: Poor grip and loss of traction

Summer tires don’t have enough acceleration in winter.  Summer tires result in long-distance brake on ice and snow because of low rolling resistance.  lower rolling resistance can improve efficiency and handling but, perform poorly on ice and snow.

Risk2: Damage due to cold temperatures

Even if roads are dry, you should change your car tires if the temperature is cold.  Cold weather leads the tire tread to stiffen. It makes tires less elastic. Also, it causes a risk of chipping. 

Be safe! Changing car tires for winter makes a BIG difference

Yes. Winter tires are specifically designed for driving in winter conditions and that doesn’t just mean when there is snow on the ground. As the road gets colder, changing the tires can improve your traction, therefore, increase safety. Tires are the only connection your car has to the road so you don’t want them to be the weakest link of your car.

80% of Canadian drivers (using winter tires) reported that their tires played a role in keeping them out of hazardous driving situations, like collision or losing control of their vehicles

When should we change car tires?

You should change car tires when the temperature is consistently below 7 degrees Celsius. Since the majority of the cars are front-wheel driven, it is best to ensure that all your tires have adequate traction. To be a safe driver it is best to be responsible and get them changed. That may not be enough to have you go into your mechanic twice a year.

What if there was a monetary incentive to change car tires?

It turns out, in Ontario, some insurance companies offer discounts to policyholders if/when they change their car tires to winters. Also, since winter only lasts a couple of months, your tire will last for years to come. It’s the little things that make a huge difference in our safety.

Can we use all-season tires or change car tires for winter?  

You’ve probably thought all-season tires will do the job. It is true but, it is also important to change car tires by season. All-seasons are great, maybe just not for all seasons in Ontario? We have 3 seasons where the temperature and road conditions between them are not too varied so we may not need to change car tires. However, since there is more wear-and-tear, they need to be replaced more frequently.

There are many wonderful things to do in Ontario in the winter, so it’s best to make sure that we get to where we need to go, safely. If you go to winter adventures, it is better to change car tires in advance. 

How to change car tires for the first time? 

If you are considering to change car tires by your self, it might seem difficult. However, changing car tires is not so difficult that you think. Here are steps you to change car tires by yourself.

We also provide tips for winter driving as well as changing car tires. For more details, click Tips for winter driving

Hope you drive safely in winter and enjoy your driving life! Don’t forget to change car tires!