In 2008, the use of winter tires on all 4 wheels became mandatory in Germany. In 2005, Germany had 12,539 collisions where there were cases of personal injury. In 2008, that number fell to 6033. There is a recognition that some safety improvements to vehicles were made over the 3 year period, but a reduction of 50% cannot be attributed to vehicle safety enhancements alone.

Closer to home, Quebec made the use of winter tires on all 4 wheel mandatory in 2008 as well. In Quebec, 96% of drivers were using winter tires before the law came into effect. Once winter tire use became mandatory, 98% of drivers used winter tires, with an immediate 5% decrease in collisions, and a 3% decrease in deaths and serious injuries. All of this with only a 2% increase in their use.

The latest generation of winter tires are designed not just for snow and ice, but are designed to maintain their elasticity and gripping power on cold pavement too. Traditional all-season tires tend to become stiff in cold weather, and they begin to lose gripping power as early as +7 degrees Celsius.

Tires that have been optimized for “all season” or “summer only” use are generally wider with a big footprint and few grooves and channels. This helps them to maintain the most rubber contact with the road during summer driving, when warm weather also assists them to remain pliable. This is the exact opposite of what you need for winter driving. Slightly smaller tires, with aggressive grooves and rubber compounds that remain pliable at colder temperatures are the ideal choice for optimized winter grip.