Why are winter tires mandatory?

Frédéric Mercier

Friday, December 15, 2017 07:33

UPDATE
Friday, December 15, 2017 07:33

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From today, the cars registered in Quebec must be wrapped in tyres with a symbol of winter.

This symbol, composed of a small mountain with three peaks and a snowflake, shows that a tire is recognized as safe in situation of winter driving by the highway safety Code.

But what is it that distinguishes these tires are summer tires, by the way?

Read also: The 12 best tires to pass the winter in safety

Read also: Here’s how to prepare his car for the winter

On its website, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) further explains that the winter tires are fitted with a gum that is designed to grip the road, even in cold weather.

“As soon as the mercury drops below 7 °C or in the presence of ice or snow on the road, the rubber of summer tires or all season it becomes hard and not very grippy,” says the SAAQ.

For its part, the gum of street legal tires for the winter season is specially designed to meet the criteria of flexibility up to a temperature of -40 °C. This results in a better grip on the pavement, whether on ice, on snow or even on the asphalt.

And in the summer?

If the winter tires are mandatory during the cold season, there is no Legislation that prevents motorists québec reinstall summer tires in the spring.

However, it is strongly recommended not to store his winter tires all year long. First of all, because the gum of this type of tyre is not designed to operate at high temperatures and that it will wear more quickly than a tire of been ordinary.

More importantly, the braking distance on a paved surface in hot weather is longer, with winter tires with summer tires. In short, keep its tires on the winter in the summer is not only a choice illogical financially, but also dangerous.