Now that the weather is finally cooling down, what does that mean for your tires? In Massachusetts and surrounding states, winter can be rather unpredictable. But you don’t want to get caught in a snowstorm without having prepared your car for the weather as much as possible. There are many benefits of winter tires that you may not have thought of. When you decide it’s time to equip your ride with the best winter tires out there, be sure to stop by Collision 24.

Winter Tires vs. All-Season Tires

winter-tire1While all-season tires may be best at gripping the road under the heat of the summer sun, you just don’t get the same traction as winter tires once it’s cold out. All-season tires actually offer very little traction in the winter, as the material they are made from grows hard in cold weather, losing pliability along with traction when the temperature drops below freezing. But snow tires, or winter tires, are built to withstand snow, rain, ice, slush and cold temperatures.

The difference can be easily compared to that between sneakers and a solid pair of snow boots. While you wouldn’t necessarily wear snow boots in the gym, you also wouldn’t want to walk down an icy street wearing sneakers. Winter tires are the snow boots of the car world.

Safety First

Remember, even with winter tires attached to your car, driving defensively and even more cautiously than usual is crucial when the weather turns bad. Winter tires can assist your already-safe driving, with maximum traction and grip and enhanced braking performance in the midst of wintry conditions. You have even more control over the car and the ability to better navigate snowy roads and unexpected stops with the help of snow tires.

Improved Technology

What are snow tires comprised of? It’s actually a soft, flexible rubber compound. The material stays flexible even if the temperatures have dropped, meaning for more controlled handling of the road in any condition. The wider grooves in their tread patterns means better traction, even on ice and snow, as they give way to more channels allowing water drain and snow to be expelled. The small slits in the tread, called sipes, are deeper than all-weather tires, allowing snow tires to cut through slush and water, improving the car’s grip and avoiding the possibility of hydroplaning.

Opt for 4 Winter Tires

In order to maintain controlled and balanced handling in winter weather, it’s a good idea to always invest in a set of four matching winter tires rather than two. If you put just two winter tires on your car, even if it has front-wheel-drive, the back wheels will not have as much grip as the snow tires in front. This is actually dangerous, as the car is more likely to oversteer while cornering or braking. If just the back tires are snow tires, the car may understeer.

Contact Your Winter Collision Specialists

If you live in Randolph, Brockton, Stoughton or the surrounding areas, contact us at Collision 24 for more information about the benefits winter tires have on your vehicle.

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