Are winter tires the way to go in Toronto?

Do You Need Winter Tires in Toronto?

Do you live in Toronto and wonder if you need to buy winter tires? Then maybe your search has led you to the right place. When the first snowstorm hits your city, you will be grateful you have winter tires. Toronto’s weather is highly influenced by its location on the shores of Lake Ontario. Although Toronto is warmer than most other Canadian cities, there is still over 1 cm of snow on the ground an average of 65 days a year, between mid-December and mid-March. Ice is also an issue when it comes to winter driving.

An increasing number of icy condition-related car accidents have been reported over the last few years. As you might not know, only 50% of Canadians drive with winter tires during the cold season. Furthermore, in a survey conducted online among Ontario drivers by Ipsos Reid for Canadian Tire, only 47% said they used winter tires. Of course, when winter comes, it is essential to slow down and keep a safe distance between cars. But why buy winter tires in Toronto? Are they safer than all-season tires? Some all-season tires are winter-approved. That means they passed various tests to ensure they met the relevant security standards. But be careful, to be identified with the winter-approved icon, they need only barely pass the tests. Therefore, you should think twice before you decide to choose all-season winter-approved tires.

All-season winter-approved tires have been equipped with a stiffer rubber, reducing their traction power on icy roads. In heavy snowfall, driving becomes more difficult with all-season winter-approved tires because their tread design is not explicitly adapted to winter: the treads have bigger blocks and narrower spacing between them. Even if Toronto does not have the roughest winters in Canada, we recommend winter tires. Some people think that, unlike two-wheeler vehicles, four-wheeler vehicles are equipped with various safety devices preventing them from slipping on icy roads. But the truth is, if your vehicle is not running on winter tires, it has close to no traction. Electronic stability control and anti-lock brake systems cannot be relied on in winter conditions as they do not perform to their full potential. On the other hand, winter tires are specifically designed to give your vehicle added traction on ice and snow-covered roads.

If you are considering buying winter tires, make sure to go all the way. Some people decide to buy only two winter tires. But the results of doing so are unpredictable and could endanger your safety. You do not want to gamble with your life. If you don’t want to mount and dismount your tires before each season, we suggest you buy a second set of wheels for the winter. You can choose from our wide selection of alloy wheels, replica wheels, and steel wheels. You can select inexpensive steel wheels dedicated to your winter tires if you have a smaller budget. Alloy and replica wheels can get damaged in the winter. You’ll want to switch to winter tires around mid-November or when the temperatures drop under 7oC for a continuous period. To remove your winter tires, you should wait until the temperatures go back up again around mid-April. If the weather is too hot, it will damage them. Winter tires should be stored somewhere cool and dry, away from the sun. Remember that having a second set of tires is not doubling the expense; it’s halving the wear. You’ll have twice the number of tires but will have to buy new ones half as often.

Why Buy Winter Tires in Toronto?

When the temperature drops, many people wonder if the second set of tires is worth the investment. Over the last few years, certain parts of Canada have seen the average yearly snowfall rise significantly. Moreover, it has been said that climate change could bring bigger snowstorms and cause cold snaps to happen more often. With that, more and more people ask themselves if winter tires are becoming necessary because, after all, you never know when a snowstorm can happen.

Depending on the season, there are three types of tires people use in Toronto. Summer tires, all-season tires, and winter tires. Every tire type is made differently to adapt to the conditions in which it is meant to be used. Summer tires are made with a relatively hard compound that softens with mild temperatures to provide more grip. However, when temperatures drop below 7oC, summer tires regain their stiffness and become ineffective.

To improve their tread life, all-season tires are made with a harder rubber compound than winter tires. They stiffen and lose traction when temperatures drop below -7oC, even on dry pavement. Most all-season tires don’t have a tread pattern that is adapted to snow, which means they do not offer any grip on snow-covered roads. They become packed with snow and lose all their traction power. All-season tires can be great for people who live in Canada, where there is virtually no snow. As their name suggests, all-season tires perform OK in all types of conditions; however, they are not designed for one specific kind of weather. When it comes to real Canadian winter conditions, you will not be able to rely on them.

Winter tires, which are identified with a snowflake symbol, are made with a softer rubber that stays flexible in temperatures below the freezing point. That means they offer superior traction and grip on ice and snow-covered pavement. Their more aggressive tread with bigger blocks and wider grooves ensures more effective snow and slush evacuation. It also helps reduce the braking distance, essential, especially during winter.

Even if they represent an added expense, winter tires in Toronto could save your life. In Québec, for example, their use considerably reduced the number of yearly road accidents: in 2008, after a law was passed to make winter tires mandatory, the number of accidents dropped by 5%. Because they are made especially for winter, winter tires provide enhanced handling and real traction on snow and slush. Most safety experts recommend the use of winter tires in Toronto.

Transport Québec conducted a study in which the effectiveness of winter tires and all-season tires are compared at -2oC and -20oC. They tested the tires on subcompact automobiles, minivans, and 4-wheel-drive vehicles. Three maneuvers were executed: acceleration and braking in a straight line, as well as an avoidance maneuver. Obviously, in the braking test, all vehicle types braked over a significantly shorter distance with winter tires on. As for the acceleration, all the vehicles tested had better results with winter tires: less distance was required to reach 50 km/h. The results were the same when testing the avoidance maneuver: winter tires performed considerably better. Numerous other studies prove the same point: winter tires perform better than all-season tires when braking and acceleration distance on ice and snow-covered roads.

It seems that the public often underestimates the benefits of winter tires. We believe that the cost of winter tires and the lack of education on the subject discourages many people from buying them. However, it is less expensive to alternate between winter and summer tires in the long-term than to use all-season tires all year long. Why? First of all, winter and summer tires are more fuel-efficient during their respective seasons. Moreover, all-season tires tend to wear faster, so they need to be replaced more often; there is also an increased risk of costly collisions during winter. In certain parts of Canada, you can also get a discount from insurance companies when buying winter tires.

Why Buy Winter Tires Online?

If you usually buy your winter tires in Toronto at a dealer, you might want to consider doing it differently this time. On PMCtire.com, you can choose your new tires from the most important selection of brands online: Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Continental, BF Goodrich, Goodyear, Firestone, Yokohama, Gislaved, Toyo Tires, Hankook, Dunlop, etc. But that’s not the only upside to buying your tires online.

Better Prices

Because we purchase tires and wheels in large quantities, our suppliers can get better prices. Furthermore, we negotiate regularly to ensure we buy at the lowest price possible. After all, our primary goal is to simplify your purchase experience…, and the first step to doing that is to help you save money on tires and wheels. You also save on transport when buying on PMCtire.com. Indeed, we offer our customers free shipping, virtually everywhere in Canada. Moreover, if you purchase four tires and four wheels, we mount your new tires on your new wheels for free, before shipping them right to your door! You will be delighted with our prices and your overall purchase experience.

Fast & Free Shipping

Shipping is free almost everywhere in Canada when you order four (4) tires or wheels or more. Benefit from our competitive prices, save on transport and get your products delivered to your door quickly. Dedicated Customer Service and Secured Website Our Customer Service team is trained to provide you with great advice and technical help with all things related to tires and wheels. Whether you wonder what winter tires you should buy, which wheels would fit your vehicle, or where to get your tires and wheels installed, they are ready to help. Our website is secure, which means you can shop in total confidence. Our online service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week!