2023-10-21 17:20:53
Sorry to remind you, but winter is coming in leaps and bounds! It is therefore important to prepare your trips well, but above all to put good winter tires on your car. For the occasion, here are some important points to consider when shopping for your tires.
When to change your winter tires in Quebec?
Previously set for December 15, the deadline for putting winter tires on your vehicle was brought forward to December 1.
How far do you travel each winter?
The question may seem trivial, but it should be the first to pop into your head. If you live in a city, have access to public transportation and your car is parked in your driveway all winter, it would be unwise to spend hundreds of dollars on high-performance tires!
What type of roadway do you use daily?
If you live in the countryside and your job is in the suburbs, the highway and even small country roads are part of your daily life. You should therefore expect to encounter roads that are partially cleared of snow. If, on the other hand, you live in the city, you risk taking the majority of paths that are completely cleared of snow and rarely icy. This second criterion will certainly help you eliminate certain types of tires.
What is your budget?
The question that kills! The budget allocated to your tires must reflect your use. Unlike other products, the prices of an automobile shoe are usually a guarantee of its quality. In other words, the more you spend, the more you have. So, if you travel 30,000 km per year and your car is your second office, it would make sense to invest in excellent tires that will be reliable for you. If, on the other hand, you only use your car once a week to go shopping, entry-level tires will be more than sufficient!
Do you like your current tires?
Like many consumer products, you have undoubtedly formed an opinion regarding your purchase. So it comes down to whether or not you were satisfied with your previous winter tires. If you loved your old tires, why change models?
The best winter tires for 2023-2024
Studded tires or not?
Studded tires are permitted in Quebec between October 15 and May 1 inclusive. They offer an undeniable advantage in terms of grip on the road surface. On ice and snow, they will offer you a better ride than an entry-level tire. That said, if you live in Montreal and hardly ever go out, such a purchase will cost you a fortune and will not give you any satisfaction following purchase.
Why are winter tires mandatory?
On its website, the Quebec Automobile Insurance Company (SAAQ) explains that winter tires are equipped with rubber designed to grip the road, even in cold weather.
“As soon as the mercury drops below 7°C or there is ice or snow on the road, the rubber of summer or all-season tires becomes hard and has little grip,” explains the SAAQ.
For its part, the rubber of tires approved for winter is specially designed to meet flexibility criteria down to a temperature of -40°C. This results in better grip on the road surface, whether on ice, snow or even asphalt.
Can I keep my winter tires in summer?
While winter tires are mandatory during the cold season, no law prevents Quebec motorists from having summer tires reinstalled in the spring.
However, it is strongly recommended not to keep your winter tires all year round.
Firstly because the rubber of this type of tire is not designed to operate at high temperatures and it will wear out more quickly than that of an ordinary summer tire.
More importantly, the braking distance on an asphalt surface in hot weather is longer with winter tires than with summer tires.
In short, keeping your winter tires in summer is not only an illogical choice financially, but also dangerous.
What is the difference between winter tires and “four season” tires?
Here are four big differences between tires approved for winter and those that are not.
The type of rubber:
Not all tires are created equal. And the type of rubber used when making them has a big role to play in that.
In general, a “four-season” tire loses its effectiveness when the mercury falls below 7°C.
When the weather gets colder, rubber loses its flexibility, which affects a vehicle’s handling and stopping distance.
A good winter tire, however, is designed with rubber that maintains its flexibility, even in freezing temperatures.
This winter quality is also the reason why it is not recommended to put your vehicle with winter tires during the summer.
When it’s hot, the tread of winter tires wears out much more quickly and extends the braking distance.
Greater depth for winter tires:
To work better on snowy surfaces, winter tires are equipped with a deeper tread which helps reduce snow accumulation and provide the best possible traction.
Obviously, science has its limits and a winter tire, even with a deeper tread, cannot work miracles. If you are driving on a snow-covered road, it is important to reduce your speed and not to overestimate the work that a tire can accomplish!
The tread patterns:
In addition to increased depth, the tread of tires approved for winter is sculpted so that snow and slush are expelled to the sides. This ensures that snow accumulations do not accumulate between the tire and the ground, which might cause loss of control of the vehicle.
Biting:
It’s all well and good to shed excess snow, but winter tires must also bite through ice and snow to allow the car to function properly.
This is made possible by the notches on the surface of the tire tread. These more aggressive patterns distinguish winter tires from other tires not approved for the cold season.
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