Spring is a time of change, and that includes your vehicle’s tires. To improve your vehicle’s performance and keep your passengers safe no matter what the road conditions are, it’s essential to have the right tires for the job. Once spring starts springing, you should switch over your tires from winter to all-season or summer versions.
At North Shore Driving School, we’re advocates of safe driving education. Here are a few reasons you should put changing your vehicle’s tires on your spring to-do list.
How are summer tires different from winter ones?
To the untrained eye, most tires look pretty similar. Despite appearances, winter tires are significantly different from summer or all-season tires, both in their design and the type of rubber they’re made from.
The deeper treads of winter tires are specifically designed to cut through snow and ice so that your tires can grip the road. They’re made of a special kind of rubber that stays pliable at lower temperatures. Even if it’s freezing cold out, your winter tires will be able to gain traction on icy roads.
All-season and summer tires, on the other hand, are designed with higher temperatures in mind. Although winter tires are great at low temperatures, they become too pliable at higher ones and their rubber can quickly degrade if kept on your car during the summer. All-season tires and summer tires have different treads and rubber that grip the road better when it’s clear of snow and ice. (Don’t be fooled by the name “all-season” tires—they’re not the best choice for the extreme cold of a Canadian winter.)
When is the right moment to change?
There’s no exact perfect moment to change your tires. Every Canadian knows that we usually have to be well into spring before we feel sure that there’s no threat of a cold snap. Although it’s not a good idea to drive on your winter tires all year, they won’t start disintegrating after a few days in the heat. You should keep an eye on the weather forecast and, once you feel confident that there are more warm days than cold ones on the horizon, set up an appointment to have your tires changed.
Knowing best driving practices is essential to keeping you and your loved ones safe on the road. If you’d like to know more about road safety or would like to learn how to drive, contact us for professional lessons at North Shore Driving School today.