Do you know what makes a great winter tire? Researchers spend years applying advanced technology for maximum safety and performance.
Purchasers often buy winter tires not knowing what makes them unique.
It might surprise them to know tire designs receive the same level of research and innovation as a vehicle does.
The rubber compound – Unlike summer or all-season tires, winter tires are made with specially formulated rubber compounds that provide extra elasticity for adhesion to winter roads.
While compound formulations differ across brands, each one blends natural and synthetic rubber with special additives.
The unique design – The most important features of a winter tire are its large grooves and sipes.
Winter tires are designed with deeper and wider grooves that compress and expel snow to enhance performance, while also removing slush and water to prevent hydroplaning.
The width of the groove is carefully optimized by researchers to balance out dry, wet, icy and snowy drives.
Sipes are small perpendicular cuts on the tire tread, designed to provide extra adhesion to slippery surfaces.
News Canada