Get A Grip: Colder States Should Mandate Winter Tire Use

I know this isn’t a popular statement, but it’s true: Winter tires are better, safer, and, quite frankly, should be required by law in states with severe winters.

Several countries already require winter rubber on vehicles. Look to Canada where some regions mandate all cars on the road have winter tires. Canadians, for the most part, think this makes sense. In Germany, cars are required to have at least “mud+snow” rated tires from roughly October to Easter, with fines to enforce it—and if you’re in a winter accident without them, insurance likely won’t cover the damage.

Even in America, certain road conditions dictate when vehicles are allowed to travel on them and, technically, anyone can get a ticket for driving a car with unsafe or overly worn tires.

So why not admit the truth? Winter tires are safer in the cold.

The science behind winter tires starts with the compound used to make the tires. All season radials use a rubber that attempts to provide a sound footing in both the extremes of hot and cold. But as the temperature drops, the all season radials become harder and provide less grip. Winter tires use a compound that remains pliable in cold weather (which is why you should avoid driving with them when the temperature is above 45 degrees). They allow cars to stop easier and faster over less distance.

In addition to the compound chemistry, tire engineers told me, the tires have different tread designs to help push snow and slush out of the tire. Many winter tires are also more narrow than regular tires because that helps it cut through snow and put more rubber on the road.

Tests again and again have proven winter tire effectiveness in the cold, but few people appear to listen.

Recently, I traveled up to Maine and did some back-to-back testing of BFGoodrich tires winter tests. We took two Toyota RAV4s and drove one with BFGoodrich Winter Slalom KSI winter tires and one with BFGoodrich Advantage all season radials.