Winter driving can be hazardous. Snow, sleet, rain, and the oft present and always dangerous, black ice. We all know that to be safe we need to slow down and drive carefully, What we don't always consider is how important having winter tires is, and how much it can help.

While all-season tires are safe and can be effective, they are not designed specifically for winter driving conditions. Because Canadian seasons can vary so much from our warm summers to our harsh winters, one set of tires will not able to do everything really well, and you'll find yourself with tires that do most things "ok"; and when it comes to your family's safety, do you really want "ok"?

A common misconception with winter tires is that they're built for better handling in snow. The real reason for winter tires is for colder driving conditions, including, but not limited to, snow. Winter tires are made from a different type of rubber than all seasons or summer tires, allowing the tire to stay flexible in cold weather and keeping better contact with the road in colder conditions. .

Deeper treads, running in one direction, allows your winter tires to avoid a buildup of snow, giving you better traction. Better traction is safer driving.

So while a set of all-season tires may sound great in theory, they are not built for Canadian winters, as they perform best in temperatures above 7 degrees celsius. With our colder months in New Brunswick averaging between 1.2 and -1 from December to March, all-season tires are not ideal.