Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/173151
W It's the rubber compound and tread design that gives true winter tires the performance advantage over regular "all-season"-types. inter can bring with it a variety of adverse weather conditions from snow and ice to rain and fog. All of these unpredictable elements can make driving in winter challenging for everyone. According to recent studies by Goodyear Tire, more than 75 percent of surveyed drivers believe winter tires make a difference in challenging winter weather, yet 58 percent of those in cold-weather areas don't use winter tires. That's not really surprising, as the typical consumer doesn't want to pay for the cost of having two sets of tires: one for winter, the second for the other eight months of the year. But the ones who face the worst winter driving conditions day in and day out – and who should make that seasonal tire change – are contractors in the Midwest and northern tier states whose living depends on their pickups performing and their drivers being safe. Mark Cox, Director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colo., says "One of the most important factors in starting, steering or stopping on ice and snow is a vehicle's tires." "It makes no difference if you have a front-wheel, four-wheel or rear-wheel drive, your vehicle will perform better in winter driving conditions if it is equipped with purpose-built winter tires instead of all-season radials," says Cox, one of the leading winter driving experts in the country. That's because "all-terrain," "all-terrain," and "traction tires" are designed to perform year-round in most conditions except when the Snow sticking in the tread is a good thing when it comes to winter traction. Purpose-built winter tires are the only ones to use if driver safety is your By Bruce W. Smith #1 priority SNOW TIRES: PROPICKUP DIGITAL PP1013PG040-41_Snow Tires.indd 40 9/9/13 9:00 AM