OIP News - Snow Tire Use
Winter - and the snow - is not over yet! Get your snow tires now (you may even get them on sale!)
As of Nov. 15, 2008, Quebec drivers will have to equip their vehicles with snow tires from that day each year through to April 15. About 90 per cent of vehicles already use snow tires; an estimated 500,000 people still rely on all-season tires. The law makes Quebec the first province to require winter tires. Jean-Marie de Koninck, who served as the head of a provincial task force on road safety, said the change is expected to help curb winter accidents. "About 10 per cent of the people right now don't have winter tires on and they're involved in 38 per cent of the accidents on the road in the winter" (information from CBC).
The rubber compound of a winter tire is relatively soft. Generally, the rubber in an all-season tire starts to lose elasticity and harden at temperatures around -8°C to -10°C, greatly reducing grip. At -15°C, this type of tire will have lost all its elasticity, whereas a winter tire will only harden at around -40°C, retaining its elasticity for much longer.
Consult with an expert on the best tire for your use. For example, some tire makers have discovered that a zigzag tread design expels slush better – slush being the condition most often encountered in Canadian winters (it is 11 times more slippery than dry pavement).
While some may balk at the additional cost of snow tires, alternating them for winter and summer driving effectively allows both your all-season and your snow tires to last twice as long so the cost evens out in the end.
For more information, contact Pottruff & Smith Insurance Brokers Inc., OIP Program administrators, toll-free 1.888.681.2862.