Hey Kelowna drivers, let’s talk about winter tires. We’re not talking about all season tires here, but dedicated winter tires.
Modern winter tires do a terrific job for drivers in a wide range of BC winter conditions. First of all, below 7.2 degrees Celsius regular tires become hard and inflexible. That means they don’t provide the road grip you need. Even if you don’t live somewhere in BC with a lot of snow but it still gets below 7.2 degrees in the winter(which is pretty much everywhere) it is vital to understand that you will be safer with winter tires.
In addition, they are specifically designed to more effectively move snow and water. That’s the key to traction on ice, packed snow and wet roads. They use a micro-pore compound that allows the tire to bite into ice and snow. They also use wider grooves that run around the circumference of the tread to expel snow from the tire better. The lugs and grooves on winter tires have a special shape that throws the packed snow out of the tread as the tire turns. The tread is then open when it comes back in contact with the road and can provide good traction for Kelowna drivers.
The treads on regular summer tires can actually get packed with snow instead and become very slick. Winter tires offer 25% to 50% more traction for drivers than all-season tires. And when it comes to vital stopping power, all-season tires take 42% longer to stop than winter tires. Sometimes that’s the difference between getting home safely or spending the night in a snow bank.
Many modern cars have traction control and anti-lock brakes so drivers may not think it is vital to have winter tires. But you need traction to accelerate, steer and stop. The tires provide the traction so that the traction control and anti-lock brakes have something to work with.
Look for tires at A Plus Automotive with the symbol of a mountain with a snowflake in it. This means the tire complies with the severe snow standard.
So when the Kelowna temperatures drop below 7.2 degrees, smart drivers will make sure they have a set of four winter tires for maximum performance in snow, packed snow, ice, wet and dry BC roads. Your A Plus Automotive tire professional can help you find the right winter tire for your vehicle and driving needs.