Should I have a set of Winter tires as well?
The best way of thinking about the differences between a winter tire and an all-season tire is to take a look at your footwear. Most would not venture out on to a snow-covered sidewalk wearing leatherÂsoled dress shoes, but that's exactly what happens when the car is driven while "wearing" all-season tires. The all season tire was designed as a single replacement to avoid the expense of having both summer and winter tires. An all season tire is designed mostly for wet and dry driving on pavement with occasional snow. Canadian winters require snow tires that were especially designed for slippery conditions and very cold temperatures.
On a snowy road, a vehicle wearing winter tires has a 38 per cent less chance of being involved in a collision than a vehicle wearing all-season tires. The fact that the winter tire's stopping distance is around 40 per cent shorter than an all-season tire under the same conditions probably has a lot to do with it.
It's a good idea to buy an extra set of rims for your winter tires. This will make it much simpler, faster, and less expensive to change the tires over between winter and summer.