I have been in the tire business for many years and attempting to drive on snowy, icy roads with just summer tires is a prescription for disaster, especially for someone that has never driven in snowy, icy conditions before. If you actually attempt this, make sure your have collision insurance on you car and your life insurance policy is up to date. I have driven on snowy roads all my life and I would never even attempt to drive a vehicle that is equipped with merely summer tires in snowy conditions. Your life and the lives of everyone else on the road with you is at stake here. Please heed this advice.
With run of the mill, cheap all-season tires, their tread compound can freeze, becoming very hard and not following the contours of the road very well anymore. The result is traction goes right out the window. With summer tires, this is even worse. Better quality winter tires or all season tires with a high silica rubber compound, (or ice compound), don't freeze when the temperature drops below 32 deg. F. so the snow traction they provide is much, much better. All season tires with this special compound also perform much better in the rain making the tire stick to the road better. So again, a tire like this is a wise investment in protecting your life, saving your vehicle from thousands of dollars in body damage and being able to avoid funeral costs. Even in regions where snow is not an issue, using all season tires is a very wise idea as they provide superior traction on rain soaked roads when you have to stop suddenly.
See the video's below to find out just how terrible summer tires are in the snow. Watch all these video's so you can get a good idea what you are up against when it snows. Driving on snowy, icy roads is no joke and it can be very dangerous. Whatever kind of vehicle you drive, whatever kind of tires you use, the best thing to do is to drive slowly. If when you gently apply the brakes you slide more than two feet, then you're driving too fast. Driving in snowy conditions, you must do everything much more slowly including steering, accelerating and braking in order to maintain control of the vehicle. It is not uncommon to drive a top speed of 20 mph or even less, in slippery, snowy conditions.
If a set of four winter tires saves you from just one hit with a guardrail, (or worse), they have paid for themselves many times over. Another factor to consider is the savings that winter tires provide in unnecessary tire replacement costs. With a set of winter tires to use during the winter and a set of good all season tires to use in the spring, summer and fall, your tires are going to last twice as long in time as their wear rate in time has been reduced by 50%, which means you wont have to replace tires anywhere near as soon as you did before. A set of four winter tires is a very wise idea.
Tire Rack Tire Test - Winter/Snow vs. All-Season vs. Summer Tires -
Winter Tyres v Summer Tyres: the Truth! - Auto Express -
Sailun Tires - Winter vs All-Season Tires -
Winter Tires vs. Summer Tires in The Snow -
Don't take snowy, icy roads lightly. Heeding this advice could save your life and the lives of others too.
I hope this has been of help.
-- B.F. Goodrich T/A Certified Tire Specialist
