It would be advantageous to use dedicated winter tires if the area where you live experiences long harsh winters. This is because nothing handles better on snow and ice than dedicated winter tires. Their special rubber compound and tread pattern are especially made to tackle the toughest of winters. Since winter tires are made only for the winter season they do not have to compromise for the other seasons. This makes the winter the best performing tires for the winter road conditions. Winter tires exist both as non-studded tires and studded tires either give the ultimate performance in severe winter conditions so how would you know which one to choose?
In general, the decision is based on what kind of weather and road conditions that you will be experiencing in the area where you live. If there is a lot of hard packed snow and ice then studded tires would be more suited with any other conditions then these, non-studded tires would suffice. When investing in dedicated winter tires you need to be aware of at what point to change over to winter tires. The general indications for winter tires are when the temperature drops near freezing. With studded tires this becomes more complicated as each state in the United States has different laws for their use. There are some states that allow their use as early as September while others not at all. There are also some states only allowing rubber studs while others allow both metal and rubber studs. When to put them on depends on where in the United States you live. Check your local laws before changing into winter tires, especially studded tires as they are not allowed in all states.
Winter tires will improve traction, braking and handling, with today’s winter tires not being designed to perform just in snowy conditions, but perform better on cold, dry pavement as well. The big drawback with winter tires however is the need to change tires once the winter season is over. This is because the winter tires are not made to be used in other seasons but winter and in some states, it is even illegal, especially for studded tires.
When equipping your car with winter tires, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s recommended tire dimensions. In addition, it is important that winter tires are installed in sets of four to help maintain control and stability of your vehicle of winter conditions and if you live in an area with severe winters you will not be disappointed in their performance.
You should choose winter tires in areas that endure long and treacherous winters as nothing outperforms dedicated snow tires. You should choose studded tires if those winter conditions entail lots of ice and hardpacked snow and if not, then non-studded tires are probable more suited for your needs. However, if the area where you live has mild winters, then maybe all-season tires could be considered.
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