Q) If I install winter tires on my car will my insurance company give me a discount on my premium?A) Perhaps. Some insurance companies will offer a discount if you install four winter tires on your vehicle. Studies show that winter tires are very effective at preventing accidents during the cold winter months. Winter tires have deeper treads and are made of innovative rubber compounds that are softer and more pliant. These tires perform much better not only in ice, snow and slush, but also in both dry and wet conditions when temperatures dip below seven degrees Celsius.

Results from tire testing in winter conditions by Transport Canada and the Rubber Association of Canada have found that stopping a vehicle took 30 to 40 per cent longer with all-season tires than with winter tires. The testing also showed the value of winter tires on cornering: vehicles with all-season tires ended up off the testing track when cornering, even at speeds of only 40 to 50 kilometres an hour. However, with winter tires, the vehicles had no problem cornering. Overall, it was found that drivers with winter tires have a lesser chance of being involved in an accident than those with all-season tires.

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