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Winter is approaching, and you can’t help but wonder why the auto body shops are hosting a variety of winter tires, yet again. You surely belong to the group who believe no one actually needs a different set of tires for the winters.
It’s probably because you’ve been fed with myths and misinformation about the necessity of winter tires.
Never mind what you’ve been told before. We’re here to take you beyond the misinformation barrier and help you take a fresh perspective on the specially designed tires for winters.
Read on and bust the common myths about winter tires.
1. If you have all-season tires, you don’t need Winter Tires
Source: insurancehotline.com
We understand that you got all-season tires for the reason that they’d work for any season. It’s sad to break the bubble, but the all-season tires are actually not suitable for extreme weather conditions.
Winter tires are made to provide a better grip than all-season tires. The traction and control of winter tires are way superior to that of all season-tires.
If you really wish to go for an option that works for winters just as well as for any other season, you should go for the all-weather tires instead.
2. Winter tires are noisy
In the past when the winter tire technology was still new, winter tires got a bad reputation because they were much noisier. Unfortunately, the reputation still lingers on. It’s true some varieties of winter tires, like those made for pickup trucks and heavy vehicles create a bit of a din on the drive.
But the fact is that modern winter tires designed for ordinary cars are significantly less noisy and have a reasonable tread.
3. You only need two winter tires for traction
Source: pexels.com
Now that’s a myth that should better be shattered soon. It would be absolutely imprudent to go on with only a pair of winter tires. If one side of your car has better grip than the other, the car is bound to skid and spin when you turn or put on the brake. The wheel traction must be equal for all four tires at all times.
4. You don’t need winter tires if there’s little snow in your region
Tires don’t just have to bear with the snow on the road surface; they also need to withstand the extreme cold temperature. So even if you have the snow cleared off from the roads in your area, you still need the winter tires.
Winter tires are made of a temperature resistant rubber compound that doesn’t harden when exposed to low temperatures like ordinary tires. When a tire’s rubber hardens, it loses much of its traction. You surely don’t want to face that kind of risk.
5. Winter tires are way too heavy on the budget
Source: sullivantire.com
Winter tires come in different brands and with different price tags. You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot on buying the set of winter tires. Standard winter tires cost just as much as the all-season tires and are of pretty good quality.
To check if winter tires are a good fit for you, consider talking to auto body experts from Anchorage, Alaska at FixAutoUSA.
6. If you have 4WD or AWD, you can do without winter tires
It’s true that the All-Wheel-Drive (also known as the Four-Wheel-Drive) cars are marketed as the tough lot. You definitely get a fair amount of control of the wheels in such vehicles. But there’s hardly any advantage when it comes to traction.
Even if you have an AWD car, you still need the winter tires for a comfortable grip on snowy and wet roads.
7. If you drive at slow speed, you can manage without winter tires
Source: vicnews.com
It’s a good idea to drive cautiously in bad weather. But some people rely way too much on their driving skills and ignore other safety aspects.
Even if you’re driving slowly you will be making turns and braking. In the snow season, this could cause the tires to spin or skid on the wet roads if there isn’t sufficient traction.
And guess what can guarantee traction on the road? You’re right. It’s the good old winter tires.
