Winter's Around The Corner And You Don't Want To Get Caught On The Wrong Rubber.
Continental Tire claims to have invented the winter tire back in 1953. We can't confirm whether that's true, but it means they should know more about winter grip than most.
They told us the aftermarket in the USA, Canada and Europe accounts for 500 million tires per year. Of that number, 81 million are winter tires - Europe buys 70 million, Canada takes 6.5 and only 4.5 million are sold in the USA.
Continental is the leading company for winter tires, selling 17.6 million each year. And while it's seen a 27% growth in Canada, the US market is only growing by 8% (New York state takes the most, incidentally).
So why don't we take winter driving seriously? Especially when you consider snow, ice, wet surfaces and low temps increase your chance of an accident in winter by six times. On the average, 55% of accidents occur in winter conditions.
Europeans take this stuff seriously. In Germany, for example, drivers can be fined for having the wrong tires. So it's not sufficient to use all-season tires and hope for the best; Conti recommends specific winter and summer tires for maximum safety and performance. And once it dips below 42, it's time to fit winter tires.
Oh, and let's not forget M+S tires. There is no legal requirement for these to work under wintry conditions. They are generally intended for offroad SUV applications. What you need is the snowflake symbol on the sidewall. This shows it's been tested for winter conditions and will give greater safety margins.
We know about the latest "R-compound, summer only, don't drive in the rain" tires, but what about the best snow tires? Well, last year we looked at Bridgestone's excellent Blizzak tires, and now it's Conti's turn.
They've developed a range of ContiWinterContact tires for passenger cars and ContiCrossContact for SUVs. All have a silica compound that remains flexible in cold temperatures (unlike conventional rubber), which promotes grip and reduces tread wear.
The sipes (or small cuts) in the tread blocks bite into ice and snow to give traction where there is none. They allow acceleration, braking and cornering where regular tires are left sliding.
The wide grooves in the circumference and shoulders disperse water, so you won't be hydroplaning when ice turns to slush.
These tires are tested the world over, finding snow all year around. And when the snow goes, they use ice rinks and ski slopes. There's even a rotating drum full of artificial snow that allows the engineers to conduct objective testing under controlled conditions.
The result is a range of WinterContact tires including the TS790 with asymmetric tread for improved traction, braking and cornering thanks to its dedicated tread blocks. There's even a V-rated version for high-speed use.
Then there's the TS810 with sizes up to 19". These use the latest technology for high performance - they're OE on vehicles from BMW and Mercedes. Again they're asymmetric, with dry handling tread on the outside, wet/winter on the inside. Their sipes are different thicknesses to prevent them from being pushed together.
The ContiCross is available up to 21".It has a new compound that's flexible, yet has stiff outer tread blocks for improved handling and wear. Just because you have 4WD, don't assume you have grip. An SUV relies on its tires when cornering and braking as much as any other vehicle.
In Europe, drivers are educated to prepare for the worst. With the harsh winters we get in parts of the USA, it's time we followed suit and kept our cars and bodies in one piece.
We had the chance to test these new tires and have to say they give astonishing grip on ice and snow. The lane changing and braking maneuvers shouldn't have been possible, but you almost started taking the level of grip for granted.
Now's the time to start thinking about your winter tires if it regularly snows where you live.