Question:
What is the benefit of winter tires?
Honest 1 Gresham Answer:
This is a really good question. Most new vehicles in Gresham come with all-season tires that work pretty well in the Boring winter conditions many drivers encounter. First, let’s talk about the things that dedicated winter tires do really well, touch on all-seasons and then you should have some information to help you in your tire selection.
The first thing about winter is that it’s cold. The rubber compound used in summer and all-season tires gets a bit hard when OR temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter tires, on the other hand, stay more pliable as the thermometer drops in Boring. This means better dry road traction in the cold.
Ice and snow is the next thing Gresham auto owners worry about during OR winters. Now some OR motorists live where there is a lot of snow, a lot of the time. Extreme winter condition snow tires have a tread design that cuts into and expels deep snow for maximum traction. These tires have a mountain and snowflake icon on the sidewall of the tire.
If you live in OR where the ice and snow are more moderate you can still benefit from winter tires. Their tread has many small “cuts” called sipes that really help them get a grip on ice.
Now, all-season tires are a year-round compromise between high summer performance and high winter performance. They just don’t handle either extreme as well as do dedicated summer or winter tires for OR driving. For example, winter tires offer 25% to 50% more traction than all-season tires. And studies have shown that all-season tires can take upwards of 40% longer to stop than winter tires. This could be enough difference to prevent getting stuck or in an accident.
So what’s best for you? You can speak with your Honest 1 Gresham tire professional and consider the conditions in which you drive in OR throughout the year and how critical performance is to you. For many Gresham car owners that put a premium on handling performance, dedicated summer tires in summer and dedicated winter tires in the winter (for cold as well as ice and snow) are what they need to satisfy their performance needs. Honest 1 Gresham will mount different tires depending on the season.
Your thoughtful Honest 1 Gresham tire professional can help you select a great all-season tire if that is what best suits your needs. No matter which route you take, remember that quality tires are not immune to the laws of physics – so it’s key to drive safely in all Boring road conditions.
Give us a call
Honest 1 Gresham
1690 NE Division St.
Gresham, OR 97015
At Honest 1 Gresham in Gresham OR (97015) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 503.465.2725. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
