The case for winter tires

Nearly one-quarter of Canadian motorists do not use winter tires and continue to use the all-season tires that came with their vehicle throughout the year. As lawyers who specialize in helping people recover from the aftermath of catastrophic collisions, we wish all drivers would understand the life-saving benefits of winter tires.

Why Do Some Canadian Drivers Not Use Winter Tires?

It is complicated and the reasons vary. There are many reasons people say they do not own winter tires. According to the TRAC Winter Tires Omi Report, 18% find the tires too expensive, 15% say they don’t drive too much in the winter, and 3% say they don’t have anywhere to store their tires. Some people think that all-wheel drive lets them avoid using winter tires. As you can see in this video, all-wheel drive is not a substitute for the right tires.

The study found the biggest reason cited for not owning winter tires, at 53%, is that “all-season tires are good enough.”

Winter Tires Are Better Than All-Season Tires

But that is simply wrong. Winter tires offer consistent and quantifiable advantages over all-season tires. In test after test, winter tires are shown to stop more reliably, offer superior traction on ice and snow, and give drivers better control. Once Canadians start using winter tires, they feel safer in a big way and continue using them with a whopping 80% saying that their winter tires saved them in a potentially hazardous winter driving situation, such as loss of control or a collision.

Winter drivers are not only saving people from auto accidents, but they also make cars safer for pedestrians and cyclists as the superior grip and drivability of winter tires ensure drivers are able to safely manage our busy streets.

Drive safely, everyone.

Any questions, please contact any of one of the personal injury lawyers at Thomson Rogers.