Choosing the right tire is not as simple a task as it seems. This is more of a challenge for most drivers. Few of them manage to understand how important it is to choose a tire that properly corresponds to the weather and road conditions. Ironically, many end up criticizing the performance of the chosen tires without realizing that maybe they did not choose the right option for the conditions in which they drive most often.
The majority of drivers find it much easier to choose a high-performance multimedia system or an expensive signaling system. They bring daily satisfaction, which you can't say about tires. The tires are just mounted and run daily on the road. Why should the driver bother with them too much?
With such thoughts, many drivers buy tires without balancing their specific needs and specific tire features. But they must match each other. As a result, most drivers opt for all-season tires believing that they will solve everything. But such a choice is very, very wrong.
Are All-Season Tires Bad?
The introduction above seems to imply that all-season tires are not a good option at all. But that's not what I really want to say. The point is that all-season tires are a great option for certain conditions. I talked about this in one of the previous articles where I pointed out the benefits of these tires.
But, one must be aware of an essential aspect that all-season tires are NOT suitable for harsh winter conditions, despite many erroneous beliefs. All-season tires mislead many drivers into thinking that "all-season" covers any weather conditions, including deep snow and ice. But the truth is that this tire category is actually dangerous if you put it to perform in these harsh conditions.
Are All-Season Tires Good For Winter?
We don't want to say that all-season tires are bad. There is just an ideal period of the year precisely for this type of tire and we wrote about it in detail in a separate article. But it should be clearly understood that in the winter period, in conditions of severe snow, the use of all-season tires is dangerous. Many do not even realize how incompetent these tires are in deep snow and ice, reassuring themselves with the name "all-season". Just recently, the UTAC edition conducted a detailed test where they demonstrated the characteristics of Nordic winter tires and all-season alternatives.
Performance Tests on Ice
We will not talk about the results of all the tires because there were a lot of them involved in the testing process. We will limit ourselves to only 4 models that differ in their structure and purpose. It is about the following tires:
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 -studded tire (the most competitive studded tire)
Antares Grip 60 Ice - (less competitive, but more affordable studded tire)
Continental VikingContact 7- studless winter tire
Continental AllSeasonContact- all-season tire
Below, see the ice braking test results of each model. The result represents the braking distance in meters.
As you can see, the tests speak of an astonishing braking distance difference of 48 meters between the all-season tire and the absolute winter leader Nokian. We also notice a gap of 27 meters between the all-season model and the less competitive Antares winter tire. Please note that this braking distance is specific to a speed of only about 30 mph in city driving conditions.
Now imagine the risk in the context of highway driving where the speed will most likely be 2-3 times higher. By doing the math, we conclude that the braking distance can reach over 60 meters in icy road conditions, which is incompatible with the safety of the driver. Matter of fact, such a braking distance is the guarantee of a chain collision with other vehicles in traffic.
The conclusion you must draw from this post is that all-season tires are not a suitable option for severe winter conditions. Indeed, all-season tires have the M+S marking, which means Mud+Snow. But, this marking refers to light snow and not to icy conditions and deep and packed snow.
Is It Worth Buying All Season Tires?
All-season tires deliver plenty of benefits whenever you use them in the right conditions. These are optimal for wet conditions, evacuate water very efficiently, and offer decent dry traction. Temperatures around 40 degrees Fahrenheit are very favorable for these tires. If these temperatures prevail in the area where you live, all-season tires are worth considering. But if we are talking about harsh winter conditions with severe snow and ice, please don't rely on the "all-season" term because what you need is winter-specialized tires.
What Temperature Is Bad For All Season Tires?
The favorable environment for all-season tires is temperatures around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Even if their tread looks deep enough to bite through the snow, low temperatures change their degree of elasticity. The colder it gets, the stiffer all-season tires become. This dramatically reduces their performance and increases their braking distance, as you saw in the test above. If the winters in the area where you live are difficult, our recommendation is to ensure your driving safety with studded or studdable winter tires, if that's the case.
Why Trust Us?
We care about your driving safety. Each of the NeoTires team is also a driver and we know the dangers we face if we don't choose the right tires. In this sense, we have formed a team of enthusiasts and specialists who are happy to share their tire knowledge with any driver and customer.
In this sense, we are always attentive to statistics, reports, studies, and technologies in the tire industry. We compare and test tires in our own technical center to provide reliable reviews about various products so that drivers know all their advantages and disadvantages. We also learn from the most reliable tire manufacturers in order to be in step with this industry and contribute to improving the driving experience of each driver.
In addition, NeoTires is about great tire deals. We know how important it is to choose a high-quality tire. At the same time, we know that the prices for such a product are not always affordable. So, we want to make things easier and negotiate with tire manufacturers special prices for the best products.
You are welcome here if you need informational assistance, or guidance in choosing the right tires, and products at special prices and conditions. Count on us at any time. Drive safely and choose your tires wisely!
