 | rad Train is the General Manager overseeing day-to-day operations of Saturn West & Saturn East for the owner Scott Davies. He joined the Wichita Saturn team in 1994 as a Sales Consultant, after 3 years he entered the Saturn Management Team. Brad is a graduate of Southeast High and Butler Community College. He and his wife Michelle have 3 children; Shelby, Andrew and Jacob. You can contact Brad at (316)219-5500, or by e-mail at bradtrain@saturnwichita.com |
Cars, Trucks, Vans & Automotive
2004-10-01 15:07:00
Do I really need winter tires?
ANSWER: Why not take some of the tension out of your winter driving by providing yourself with a greater margin of control and possibly avoiding an accident either caused by yourself or someone else. If you're driving too slowly, and you aren't able to keep up with the flow of traffic, you pose a risk to yourself as well as other vehicles around you.Most drivers' primary concern with winter driving is getting "stuck" in the snow (or in the ditch). Who wants to gamble...especially when their collision deductible and future insurance premiums are on the table? Only winter tires are designed to excel in colder temperature; slush, and snow and ice that Kansas, as well as many other parts of the country experience for three or more months a year. It's also important to note that the recent advancements in electronic driver aids, such as ABS and traction control don't provide more traction. They only help prevent drivers from over braking or overpowering the available traction of their tires. The only thing the driver can do to increase traction...to actually get more grip and control... is install winter tires.Front-wheel drive vehicles offer an advantage to winter driving, but its advantage can be multiplied by using winter tires designed for winter road conditions. Part of a front-wheel-drive car's acceleration advantage is because it has 60 percent of its weight over the drive wheels. While this helps you get started, it does not help you stop. The same applies for vehicles with all-wheel drive. And, while traction control will help keep you from overpowering your tires, it doesn't actually improve your tire's traction; it simply limits your car's acceleration to the traction level of your tires. The only way to maximize your vehicle's winter performance is to provide your traction control with more grip to work with by using tires specifically designed for your driving conditions.I'm often asked about the effectiveness of all-season tires in winter driving. All-season tires are a compromise intended to provide acceptable traits under a wide variety of conditions. However, that compromised goal prevents them from being a master of any one of them. The all-season tires tread is designed and engineered to provide extended mileages and durability under the summer's sun, but are less effective in winter's freezing temperatures, through snow, and on ice. Winter tires deliver much better snow and ice performance than all-season tires because their tread design is engineered to master those conditions, while summer tires are engineered to deliver better handling in the rain and on dry roads.
