Are Snow Tires necessary
The necessity for snow tires largely depends on your circumstances. Obviously, if you live in a warm area which only has a couple of days of snow each year, they're perhaps not required at all. However, snow tires have more advantages over all-season tires than just their performance in heavy snow, as I will now explain.
A snow tire could be better considered as a 'cold weather' tire, as they will generally outperform an all-season tire when temperatures below a certain point, even on a smooth, dry road. This is largely a result of the rubber compound and tread pattern of the tire.
- Rubber compound - The rubber of an all-season tire will become excessively hard with low temperatures, and invariably lose its flexibility. Flexibility is crucial for good road holding. Hard compound tires are great for their low wear, but compromise heavily on grip. A snow tire, on the other hand, has a compound designed for low temperatures, and will give far better grip in cold, winter conditions (whether in snow, ice, or on a dry road.)
- Tread pattern - Snow tires are designed with deeper and more specialized tread patterns. The sole reason behind this is for grip in deep snow and on slippery ice. Whereas the compound of a tire will help in all conditions, the tread pattern needs to be focused to achieve great performance. This is where the all-season tire falls short; it is designed to give adequate grip in many conditions, rather than superior grip in one.
There are certain vehicle configurations and driving aides which improve traction and drive-ability in the snow, but one should not put too much confidence in these luxuries. Four-wheel drive, traction control, stability control and so forth, all greatly increase the safety of driving in bad weather conditions, but they are still limited to the amount of grip your tires provide. What use is four-wheel drive, when your tires can't grip at all? You'll just have four wheels spinning instead of two!
'Better safe than sorry' is a saying we have all heard before, and its truth is significant. If you plan on driving your car in the snow this year, snow tires are a wise investment. They greatly reduce your chance of an accident, and they can often make life much easier, too, by allowing you to drive places which would otherwise be unreachable.
Snow tires are often discounted until such a time as demand becomes high, so plan ahead and you can pick them up for a reasonable price. Even a second hand set, with slightly worn treads, will allow for much more predictable braking and maneuvering during the winter months.
Without a doubt, snow tires are a safety feature when temperatures fall, and snow and ice become a problem. They could save you from totaling your car, but more importantly they could save your life.
