With snow hitting parts of Central Alberta this week, many people have been switching over to winter tires.
Pat Calon is the owner of Calridge Automotive Repair in Red Deer.
He talked about the best time to make the change.
"Typically, it's between Thanksgiving and Easter or above or below (-)7 degrees celsius. So when you can see your breath, that's the time to start putting them on."
Calon explained that there are three types of winter tires including all-season, all-weather and winter tires. He says all-season are basically a summer tire that will freeze up like a hockey puck when exposed to cold conditions. All-weather can work in both summer and winter but the obvious choice for cold conditions is a winter tire, which will stay pliable when it's -30 or -40 degrees celsius.
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Winter tires come in both studded and non-studded, with each having their distinct advantages depending on the type of vehicle you are driving. Calon says non-studded work best on an SUV or all-wheel drive vehicle, while studded are more suited for two-wheel and rear-wheel drive vehicles. One of the disadvantages of studded tires is that they will wear out quicker. In Alberta, there are no restrictions on the use of studded tires.
Calon explained that the big advantage of installing a winter tire is increased stopping distance.
"With a winter tire for instance, especially with the new technology with the non-studded winter tires with these all-wheel drive vehicles, the stopping distance is dramatic," he said. "That's really where you get your benefit from, stopping and handling as opposed to taking off from a set of lights on icy conditions. It'll be better, but that's not really what they're designed for, they're designed for that braking and handling and you can stop typically two to three vehicle lengths sooner than you would with an all-season tire, which obviously you can see the benefits in that."
Other items that should be checked before winter include the battery, block heater, coolant, tire pressure, washer fluid, and lights.
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