Winter Tires In Ontario

I use winter tires and so does my wife.  I live in Northern Ontario and discovered many years ago that “All Season Tires” don’t do any season practically well (and lived to tell).  It is like buying a “One Size Fits All” Hat the more apt description would be “One Size Hurts All”.  Too much compromise is exactly what it says with the All Season description.

There are a wide variety available from the manufacturers some even have Studs.  Be careful if you go for the studded variety of tire as they are not legal in most US States and some other provinces so if you live near a border beware!  I don’t use studded tires myself I found that if you go to a better tire that it does the job without the noise or damage to the pavement.  I am sure there are some situations where studs are the right choice but an the same train of thought I am sure chains are a good idea in some places also.

I am not sure if it is still in place but at one time you could not go past certain points in the Swiss Alps without chains in your trunk in case the weather got bad and having been there I must say I understand why the police checked your car to see if you had them before you were allowed to proceed any farther.

Due to the Ontario Government and the Auto Insurance Companies attempting to lower Automobile Insurance premiums most companies have come out with a discount for those drivers who will install Winter Tires on their car the first of November and keep the tires on till the end of March.  Check with your Broker or Agent for details.

The Discount in most cases is not substantial and certainly won’t make up for the cost of my walnut shell infested tires but it is a start and whether I got a discount or not I’ll keep using them.  My car has more traction for starting and stops in much shorter distances and that is worth more than a percentage of my premium.  Have a safe winter and please consider winter tires.