The Benefits and Drawbacks of Snow Tires
As winter weather continues to set in, drivers have a big decision to make. Should they equip their car with snow tires? Snow tires, as the name implies, are designed to provide you with a better driving experience in wintery conditions. That said, there are some drawbacks to equipping your car with snow tires. Below, we explain the benefits and drawbacks of snow tires.
Benefits of Snow Tires
Enhanced grip – Winter driving usually means you are traversing over ice and snow, and snow tires are designed to provide a better grip on these surfaces. Snow tires are softer and have deeper treads than all-season tires, enhancing their grip on the road. Although they improve grip, they aren’t the best in summer when road conditions are ideal, as the softer design and deeper treads create more drag, reducing your fuel economy.
Better braking – If you’ve been driving in Minnesota long enough, you’ve experienced that panicky feeling when you hit the brakes and your car continues to slide along an icy road. Hopefully you were able to avoid a nasty fender bender, but the enhanced grip on snow tires also allows for better braking. That added braking ability can be the difference between stopping in time or ending up in an accident.
Drawbacks of Snow Tires
Wear down quickly – Although they are built to handle the winter weather conditions, snow tires are comparatively fragile to their all season counterparts. If you use snow tires during ideal conditions you’ll notice that the tread wears down faster than normal. Additionally, the thick, studded design of some snow tires can damage the roads, creating potholes and problems for everyone else on the road.
Mental mindset – Sometimes snow tires give drivers a false sense of confidence during poor weather conditions. Snow tires help you grip the road, but that doesn’t mean you should do 65 on the highway in blizzard conditions. These tires help to minimize the effects of snow and ice, but they don’t fully compensate for their presence. Take it slow in bad weather even if you’ve swapped out the all season tires for a set of snow tires.
Related source: CarsDirect.com
-
The Surprising Downside of Driverless Cars
Mar 18, 2015Remember last week when we shared a story about driverless cars and how they’ll be more popular in 10-20 years? Well a new study says we might want to pump the brakes on driverless cars, as they’ll consume more energy than current transportation methods. Many auto experts believe that autonomous cars could help decrease fuel […]
-
Minnesota Window Tint Quiz
Jul 16, 2014With summer in full swing, many Minnesotans are considering tinting their car windows in an effort to keep their car cool when the temperatures rise. We specialize in window tinting, and while some people prefer to tint their windows on their own, you’ll want to make sure you stay in line with the law. We […]
-
Minnesota Hit With Worst Driving Conditions in Decades
Feb 26, 2014We all know the weather in Minnesota can be a little rough, but the weather we experienced at the end of last week contributed to some of the worst driving conditions the state has ever seen. The storm came in Thursday afternoon and continued into Friday morning. Some areas of the state got more than […]
