Re: Your tire show on all season and winter tires. Hopefully the public is better informed and will pay attention to the warnings your show identified. I have been advising individuals for 20+ years of the benefits of having four good snow tires verses all season tires. The all terrain tires with the HARDER compound are also a concern that I have expressed to customers. Many believe that these are a suitable replacement for the winter tire on SUVs and Half Ton Trucks.These tires may pose a danger even though such tires may be stamped with the mountain and snow flake emblem they are not suitable for winter driving and do not provide the safety or traction required for our winter roads in Canada. I suggest that you investigate the use of these tires and provide this information to consumers. Thanks for your efforts in making Canadian drivers more informed. R.Glenn Falconer Mr.Tire LTD. Sydney / Westville Nova Scotia Posted by: Glenn Falconer | Jan 30, 08 07:33 PM

While I understand that Snow Tires have been demonstrated to be superior to All Season Tires, adjusting your driving to the road conditions may also have a major role in safe winter driving. I don't recall this being given any emphasis on your broadcast. Posted by: Ross Fredericks | Jan 30, 08 07:33 PM

Here in NL there’s a movement on the go to implement the same type of law that the government of Quebec as enacted for next year. The problem here is that our provincial government is telling us that there isn’t any proof that winter tires are safer than all season tires in our winter weather conditions. I argue that here in NL we have more extreme weather conditions than most of Canada. It seems to me that the NL provincial government is giving their citizens a snow job. Your program mentioned several studies and factual data that snow tires are safer and saves lives. I think its time that my provincial government take their heads out of the sand and stop lying to its citizens and enact a similar law as that ratified by Quebec’s National Assembly. Thanks for clarifying this subject for me and I’m sure others. I sure am glad that I have four studded tires on both my vehicles for the safety of my family and peace of mind. NOTE: It would have been interesting to see how studded snow tires would rate against snow tires and all season tires. Posted by: Brian Pollard | Jan 30, 08 07:38 PM

Thank you for bringing this to public attention. We are fortunate in having an awesome tire dealer who quite frankly got into tire sales because her life was saved by them. She encourages customers to buy winter tires due to their safety factor and says she leave them on year round as they are also great in rainy conditions. Yes they wear down faster due to the softer rubber but we have such short summer seasons that she feels it is minimal. Posted by: J Uchacz | Jan 30, 08 07:41 PM

I work in the service dept of an automotive dealership in Newfoundland. I feel we have done a really good job of educating our customers about the benefits of winter tires. We have been telling our customers for several years now that the entire all season tire concept does not exist for our climate. I have used the analogy that you cannot have a pair of boots or shoes that are going to perform properly in the middle of the summer when the temperature is +25 C and expect them do a great job of keeping your feet comfortable in the winter when the temperature is -10 C. It just can't happen. I am also happy to report that the vast majority of my customer use and believe in winter tires. After saying this I really cannot agree with making them mandatory because so many individuals have different needs. A retired or elderly person for example usually can pick and choose which days they drive and if they are not comfortable with the driving conditions they can choose to stay home. It isn't fair to make these people incur this additional expense. I think it is all more about using common sense. Posted by: Dennis Turner | Jan 30, 08 07:55 PM

Good show on the benefits of proper winter snow tires but what about winter tires and studs? Is there any evidence of the benefits of using studs? As someone that often drives in snow in the mountains I always feel better with studs. But is that true? Posted by: Dick De Vries | Jan 30, 08 07:57 PM

Driving with winter tires is like night and day! I recently had to rent a car for a few days without winter tires, and I was driving with white knuckles for 3 days. 4 tires and rims for $1200 is well worth the expense, and take 20 minutes to change. I'd recommend them to anyone. Now with ABS brakes on most vehicles, it's a must! Posted by: Claude | Jan 30, 08 07:57 PM

I share in the frustration in trying to rent a car with winter tires. I live in Quebec and my mid-size SUV has winter tires on from mid-October until the end of March. I recently tried to rent a car with winter tires in New Brunswick and was given the same runaround as your researchers got. What is it going to take for these companies to learn that they are putting people at risk? Posted by: Mitch | Jan 30, 08 08:00 PM

If the government makes it mandatory for drivers to have winter tires, will there be a rebate for these tires? Not everyone that drives a car can afford 2 sets of tires, and also have them balanced and installed when summer rolls around, and likewise summers to winters! This can become quite costly! I myself drive 2 suv's and the all season tires I'm running are absolutely fantastic! I've had no problems whatsoever! Also, your test conditions were a little untrue. When using highways or main streets in cities, unless directly after a snowfall the streets have far less snow on them. When the plow makes a pass, he leaves a slick icy surface! I'm sure the winters will stop sooner, however ice is ice and a 2-3000 pound vehicle will have trouble no matter what. I also agree with a previous post that if you alter your driving conditions there should be no problem at all! Posted by: Sean DeGrace | Jan 30, 08 08:00 PM

This is the first year I put winter tires on my 2001 Intrepid and what a difference they make. I will never go another winter without "winter" tires. Your show was very interesting. I rented cars every weekend for 7 months, 4 of which were during the winter, driving from downtown Toronto to home here in the North Bay area and never really thought about the kind of tires on the vehicles I rented. I would now for sure insist on winter tires. Posted by: Janet Lance | Jan 30, 08 08:04 PM

I recently (in the last 2 years) moved to Quebec from Ontario. Snow tires in Quebec are so advertised and have been so ingrained in the people that it is almost a religion (or a brain washing). However what I never hear mentioned is that the climate has changed and on average snow falls have decreased and temperatures have increased. As well rubber compositions have drastically improved and I question the need for snow tires. A good set of all seasons and a competent driver will be fine. The Quebec government has not thought the latest law through. Nothing has been mentioned about how they plan to control the costs of now mandatory tire purchases and installations. I guess the tax dollars will make everything better and they can finally rebuild the 50 year old roads!! Fat chance!! I look forward to HAVING to listen to the sticky sound of my winter tires and hard earned money burn off in the law enforced months where the tires are absolutely unnecessary. Posted by: Mark Broadbridge | Jan 30, 08 08:07 PM

I strongly disagree that winter tires are superior to the all seasons. I run all season tires on my truck and they are great for driving in muddy fields and pulling trailers. In your program I felt it was an unfair comparison. The all season tires were the ones that came on the rental vehicles and there was not much left for tread. Your winter tires looked to be brand new with lots of tread and most important sidewall serps(lugs). My all seasons have the deep lugs and are made of the softer rubber. I think that you should consider all this next time you are comparing products like these. Posted by: Steve Hinsburg | Jan 30, 08 08:07 PM

In the scenes where the professional race car driver was trying to avoid hitting the blow up doll, why is it that when the filming was done with the all season tires you saw the flag man wave the flag telling the driver when to turn, but when the snow tires were used in both scenes the flag man was not shown. It seemed to me the driver was going slower. Posted by: Ross DePalma | Jan 30, 08 08:08 PM

I watched the show this evening and while it was interesting, it was somewhat one sided. My husband even suggested some of it was fixed. The driver with the all seasons did a hard right with the steering hard right, so of course the wheels will not grip. Yet, when he drove the vehicle with the winter tires, he gently turned the wheels to the right, and the tires gripped the snow. It is all how one drives. Case and point: My husband and I have been driving all season tires in the snow belt north of Toronto for twenty five years and have never had an accident. We adjust out driving to the conditions. This can't be said for our daughter. Last fall my husband noticed her tires were getting a little worn so he bought four winter tires for her. The first snowfall in December she had an accident, although the previous four years with all seasons were accident free. Our daughter readily admitted she thought she could go faster with winter tires. So, should Ontario mandate winter tires, I fear it will cause more accidents, due to over confident drivers. Mandated winter tires: another needless expense, due to a few stupid drivers. Posted by: Jessica Renolds | Jan 30, 08 08:08 PM

You've given away my secret weapon. I've been using snow tires on my vehicles for more than 25 years. The technology in snow tires in the past few years is extraordinary. The last series of tires have been manufactured in South Korea and I think that they are the world leader in these products. They are very cost effective, but do shop around as there are huge price swings in the same tire and size. You do not have to buy the French made tire to get the best. A tire at half the cost will due just fine. Also your comment on M&S tires is not completely true, some brands of these tires are very good with a silica blend on a softer compound. I've been asking my insurance company for many years why they do not offer discounts for those who choose to drive safer. Wouldn't a discount be nice. Instead, they sit back, wait for the government to enforce them, and then they'll jack your rates if you don't have them. Another note, there are some really crappy snow tires out on the market also. Posted by: Iain Gunn | Jan 30, 08 08:11 PM

I was just listening to your program on «winter tires». Living in Quebec city, and with the new law on tires, you would expect that car rental agencies would supply you with a car equipped with winter tires, right? Wrong.... Yesterday, Entreprise just rented me a Dodge van with 4 seasons... justifying this by the fact that the car was brand new !!! Either you take it as is or there is no rental available for you. Laws don't mean nothing if you don't have the means to apply it, and it's the same with a number of «road laws» in the Province of Quebec. Posted by: YJ DeRome | Jan 30, 08 08:13 PM

I've been swapping all seasons for snow tires for nearly 10 years now and the handling difference is incredible. I'm an experienced accident free driver for 30+ years. Up until 10 years ago I drove heavy rear wheel drive vehicles and always felt in control. All that changed when I purchased a smaller front wheel drive car. Driving in less than ideal winter conditions on the all seasons that came with that vehicle proved to be a challenge on several occasions. That's when I made the switch to snows. Slowing down, as many of the rental agencies suggested in your program, is not the answer. On one occasion while driving slow on all seasons in incredibly snowy and slippery conditions, I was not able to stop for a red light and ended up sliding through the light and up and over the curb--this despite having at least 100' distance to the light and traveling at about 20km/hour. I applaud Quebec for making snows mandatory. It's called common sense. Posted by: Mary Drozdz | Jan 30, 08 08:13 PM

Tonight's show about snow tires was excellent! I have been using them for over 15 years. As a recent SUV purchaser, I am faced with an additional hurdle that I did not expect and that was not covered during tonight's show. For many vehicles, the owner can simply purchase winter wheels and tires for a reasonable cost (say less than $1000 for most vehicles). It is wise to purchase wheels also because mounting and de-mounting tires each season causes excess wear and tear on wheels (not to mention the cost of about $60 each time, total $120 per year). The vehicle I own has a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). TPMS is now a legislated system on trucks and SUVs. For my vehicle, TPMS will add almost $400 to the cost of snow tires - each sensor is over $80 (one for each tire). In any case I still plan to buy snow tires and rims because there is no substitute for good traction in the winter! Posted by: Don Minato | Jan 30, 08 08:14 PM

When analyzing vehicle accident statistics only two things that can be consistently graphed. One is the number of accidents as opposed to the drivers age. It will always graph as a U shape where younger drivers and older drivers have more accidents than middle age drivers. The other thing that is consistent is the fact that the lighter the rear of a vehicle is compared to the front the more accidents there will be. This graphs as a / shape where for every one percent the rear is lighter than the front there is another twenty fatalities per million of that model car on the road. Constantly there are 60 reported injuries for every one reported fatality and if you consider the most unbalanced car has 200 fatalities per million registered cars then the chances of an injury are (200x60=12000 divided into 1,000,000) or 1 in 84 as compared to other more balanced cars where the chances of injury are 1 in 340. There are no balanced cars that have high fatality rates and no unbalanced cars with low fatality rates. With the worst cars having 65 percent of the weight or more on the front predicting a safe speed when the front of your car has so much traction and the rear has so little becomes almost impossible and add to this the fact that the consumer is not informed of the weight difference. Adding four snows to the most unbalanced cars will result in the vehicle being driven at a slightly higher speed resulting in more injuries. As I understand Quebec has a 18% rise in fatalities since snows became popular. Snows on the back only does improve stability slightly on those cars that have far too much weight on the front. I have done a video on youtube called front wheel drive stability test for any one interested. Posted by: Harvey McFadden | Jan 30, 08 08:15 PM

There is an all weather tire, not an all season tire, called NOKIAN. It is a European tire. The rubber compound is such that it changes with the changing temperatures. Posted by: allan hyatt | Jan 30, 08 08:16 PM

Snow tires for sure, should be mandatory in NFLD. In December of 2006 our family flew into Deer Lake NFLD , picked-up a two week car rental and ASSUMED it had 4 winter snow tires. Wrong! As you can imagine to our surprise, after a large snow fall, we discovered we had no traction and very little control on these hills. The tires were all season. We immediately called the rental agency and asked for snow tires. We were told that this would have to be a different vehicle and there was only one available and at a higher rental rate. We voiced our complaints to the rental agency manager in St John's and to our insurance company that we had a near accident as a result of no snow tires but it fell on deaf ears. After traveling back to Deer Lake to pick up a vehicle with snow tires we felt much safer and had more control in snowy, slippery conditions. Posted by: Kathy Thorpe | Jan 30, 08 08:17 PM

At the beginning of October, we rented a vehicle in Vancouver to be returned in Calgary. As we started driving through the Rockies, and noted the "chains required in trucks after October 1st" signs, I wondered if the rental agency had thought to put winter tires on the vehicle. Since I didn't know how to check, I just assumed that since they KNEW that we would be driving through the Rockies in October, that they would have automatically put winter tires on the vehicle. Since we drove through some scary blizzards on the way, I'm glad I didn't know that we were almost certainly driving on all season tires. Given the terrain in BC, combined with the reluctance of rental agencies to provide safe vehicles, it is high time the BC government stepped in and imposed the use of winter tires on all vehicles in BC, including rental vehicles. I'm not holding my breath for such a law in Ontario, but I hope your program will at least have educated lots of people about the use of winter tires. Posted by: Nathalie Warmerdam, Ontario | Jan 30, 08 08:19 PM

I watched your show tonight and the people you spoke with are absolutely correct. I have 2 SUVs in my household, and I would never drive another vehicle without winter tires. They offer much better traction when cornering and stopping than any "all season" tire ever will. I am shocked that the insurance companies have not jumped on this because the tires prevent accidents and save lives. The tires should be mandatory Canada wide because it only takes 1 horrible accident that could take someone's life. The price of winter tires more than offsets the cost of a life. I am not willing to take that chance with my family's lives. I live in Calgary and we tend to get mild winters, but we do get ice and storms like every other part of Canada. The other thing that people may be noticing is that most new car "all season" tires are more performance oriented which give no traction on ice or snow. I recently had my vehicle in the shop for repairs and they gave me a car with all season tires. I could barely make it around corners and was afraid to come to a complete stop for fear I would never get going again (another safety issue). For car rental companies to say it is too expensive is a farce. Considering that they tend to sell their cars when they reach around 20,00 kms they should just order their cars with winter tires and not bother to swap them out in the spring. Posted by: James Richardson | Jan 30, 08 08:19 PM

Although I am not using any at this Time, I do feel that Winter Tires are safer. I feel that Rental Agencies should have them on at least Half their Fleets in areas that are prone to a lot of snowy slippery conditions. For them to say they would have to double their Prices to recoup costs is overkill. Most car shops charge $20-$30 to switch the tires. If you have them on rims it costs less, or you could do it yourself! For an average cost of $700.00 a set(with rims), why can't the auto manufacturers give a set with a new purchase. I would rather have a set of winter tires than a GPS, heated seats and mirrors or power windows. For many of us $700.00 is a lot to put out in one shot, especially after the purchase of a car. Driving according to conditions is a definite must, no matter what you drive. People need to slow down, leave space and ditch their cell phones and laptops while driving . Posted by: Garth N. Baker | Jan 30, 08 08:21 PM

It would seem that the car rental companies are missing out on an opportunity to stand out from the pack. You could market your product as the safest if all of your cars had winter tires included in the price. Home consumers aren't really spending any more money on tires as every kM you put on winter tires is one less kM you put on your all season tires. I have winter tires for my car and get on average 5 years out of all season radials. Posted by: Mark White | Jan 30, 08 08:29 PM

I have been using winter tires on all my vehicles for the last 18 yrs. As a service technician that is on the road at least 8hrs a day good tires are very important. It's about time someone got the message out the that there is no such thing as "all season" tires. Too many people even up here in Timmins are under the impression that if the tread is in good condition an all season is as good as a winter. Better yet we are now allowed to use studded tires again. Maybe we can make the roads a safer place with a little education. Posted by: wayne dunbabin | Jan 30, 08 08:30 PM

Here is another huge danger: Employers that require you to drive a company car do not pay for purchase and installation of winter tires. If your office is in Mississauga for instance and your work takes you to Orillia or to Montreal for instance, from December through March, there is a good chance that you will be driving in snow conditions and in minus 7 degrees Celsius. When I asked for winter tires, my manager and HR told me no. Should there be an accident, they not only put my life at risk but those on the road with me and those I provide for. It is a huge liability! Any car I have owned gets 4 summer and 4 winter tires winter tires. It is factored with maintenance, insurance and taxes. As far as I see there are hundreds of drivers that lose control as soon as any rain, not to mention snow, hits the pavement! For that reason it really should be mandatory in all provinces. Posted by: Angela | Jan 30, 08 08:38 PM

I'm a senior living in the Ontario snow belt and I do not have winter tires on my car. The Provincial Government here is considering enacting similar legislation that Quebec has making snow tires mandatory. In my area during the month of December we had about a meter of snow but there were only 4 days when snow tires may have been an asset. On those days, I stay off the roads. Why should I be forced to spend the extra money to buy snow tires? Posted by: Don Cross | Jan 30, 08 08:40 PM

Having driven well over 1 million kilometers in Canada in the last 40 years, I have always been comfortable, and even thought I was making a good decision, in using "all-season" tires -- until 2 years ago. My "all-season" tires were needing to be replaced and winter was approaching so I researched the issue and was surprised to learn from an independent survey that, in comparing two specific performance tires by the same manufacturer, true winter tires out-performed "all-season" tires by an astonishing 50% in snow! I've always felt that most of the time I drove, the roads have been bare and thus the need for winter tires was not apparent. However, I wasn't consciously aware that "all-season" tires start losing effectiveness as the temperature drops below 5 C. For those two reasons, I put on winter tires and have been impressed with them. It seems that the designation "all-season" is a misnomer (likewise for "M+S") and should be deleted from tire descriptions. If consumers had a choice of only summer or winter tires, I'm certain that almost everyone would choose winter tires for driving in Canadian winters. Posted by: John Brooks | Jan 30, 08 08:50 PM

Do you think the car rental companies ignore winter tires because they're all American owned corporations imposing their foreign policy rules on Canada without regard to our weather patterns? Posted by: Glenn Sosney | Jan 30, 08 09:03 PM

You should watch what you tell people about checking your tire air pressure. If you are dumb enough to use a tire gauge out here in Saskatoon when the temperature is below -20c, you will find you have flat tires the next day.When you push in that small valve a tiny bit of moisture escapes and freezes in the valve and you get a leak. If you add air the same thing will happen. I grew up in Ontario and it never got cold enough to be a problem, but my first winter out here in 1969 taught me to leave the tires alone unless it got warm. And at say -35, which it is right now gas mileage is not as important as reliability. Posted by: wayne powers | Jan 30, 08 09:15 PM

Yet again, government interferes with our lives. After 50 years of driving, with no winter accidents, I'm going to be told what tires to use! No tire will save some of the dumb asses driving these days. Of course winter tires give better grip. Thats why I have to drive more carefully on my all-seasons. Posted by: Andy Hartshorn | Jan 30, 08 09:27 PM

I drive on the 401 from Brampton to Toronto at rush hour. I first bought winter tires for a minivan because one can stop much, much quicker and with more control. Highly desirable feature in bumper to bumper traffic and ever increasing car insurance rates. I also bought winter tires for a Chrysler 300 rear wheel drive. I have driven with and without winter tires and it is well worth the money to have them on when it is cool or cold. One can stop much quicker and safer. Posted by: Laird Eisler | Jan 30, 08 09:29 PM

I was really disappointed in tonight's show for three reasons: 1. We were not shown how the winter tires perform on the glass smooth infamous "black ice". My experience is that the all seasons are best on dry and even wet pavement. The winter tires are superior on the snow conditions used on the show, but let you down when you need them most on the really slick ice where they are really not much better than the all seasons. If there is nothing to grip, it doesn't matter how "soft" the rubber is. 2. You also didn't show what happened if the all-season vehicle simply slowed down a bit. My experience is that most people will drive at the limits of their comfort zones, and with winter tires that comfort limit is faster than it is with the all-seasons. As such the winter tires really aren't any safer, they just result in faster traffic in winter conditions, and higher speed crashes when the winter tires let you down on the glass smooth ice where improved control is needed most. 3. There are some winter tires like the Toyo Observe and Bridgestone Revo that have "bite particles" formulated into the rubber compound. I think these have a chance of making a significant difference on the glass smooth ice surfaces where improved control is needed most. I would like to see these compared with all-seasons and regular winter tires on glass smooth ice surfaces sometime. Posted by: Brian Grant | Jan 30, 08 09:31 PM

Thanks for broadcasting your show on "all-season" tires vs. winter tires. I find the whole issue rather complex, although I'd say in general winter tires are a better choice for most Canadians. I used to work as a computer field service technician for 13 years , driving in Northern Ontario (Timmins, North Bay, Sudbury, etc.) Winter tires often performed better. But, on the other hand, I've had reasonably good control using all-season tires too. To me, the emphasis should be on the road crews getting out there and maintaining the roads properly. I seldom had problems getting around the Sudbury area, yet living in the Brantford area is like night and day compared to the North. Snow clearing here is a joke, and they seem to wait days before clearing even the bus routes, let alone the highways. Even when they know freezing rain is coming, they do just about nothing instead of getting out there and salting/sanding the highways and city streets. Of course, they have their excuses why they can't get to all the streets, but I know that no matter what kind of tire I had, I'd still end up in the ditch if the road is full of icy patches and snow 10cm deep! It would also help if drivers weren't so stupid and ignorant, and learn to keep a reasonable speed and distance between drivers. I've been renting a vehicle from E-car for over half a year, and I've been afraid to drive certain vehicles in bad weather such as the Yaris and the Mazda 6. Out of all the cars I've tried, the 2007 Malibu with all-season tires handles better although I'm sure winter tires would be an asset. I don't believe there will come a time that car rental businesses will voluntarily adopt a winter tire policy. It seems everything "logical" requires government coercion before businesses will change their ways. Like the saying goes: "Business ethics" is an oxymoron. Posted by: Norm Meunier | Jan 30, 08 09:36 PM

I have been driving for forty years. Except for four winters or so I always had winter tires. 22 years ago on a windy, icy, slushy day when I had only the all-season tires on the car slided, slipped, went round and round and went off the highway. Luckily it didn't roll over but got stuck in the deep snow. I strongly believe that winter tires would have given better grip. The very next day I had winter tires put on again. What a difference it makes for safer driving. I think the public should be educated on the advantages of driving with winter tires and the government should start an advertising campaign and wipe out the myth of all-season tires. Also insurance companies should offer reduced premium for those who use winter tires. Posted by: Aleyamma Samuel | Jan 30, 08 09:43 PM

I drive on average over 80,000 kms per year in all conditions and I am amazed at all the people who don't realize how much better winter tires are. For all the people who say they haven't had an accident using all season tires, you have been fortunate and probably have also been driving carefully. While it can give some a false sense of security as does 4 wheel drive, there is no solution that will help all the idiots. The government should make snow tires mandatory on all vehicles in the winter season. I know I would far sooner have the car coming towards me have the safest tires and as it is not only their lives at stake. They should have no choice. As for the extra cost it is very little as when you have snow tires on you are saving your all seasons. Posted by: Wendell McKAy | Jan 30, 08 09:43 PM

I have a set of Nokian "WR" All-Weather Plus tires and they have the government mandated winter traction emblem (snow-flake embossed over a mountain peak)on them. They are the only all-weather tire that meets this minimum traction level. They have exceptional grip in winter conditions and they come with a 80,000 wear guarantee. I think they are the best value if you can only afford one set of tires and rims. I paid $900.00 mounted and balanced but I can drive year round and not have to worry about appointments for changing my tires. Marketplace missed the boat by not mentioning these tires and in my view gave us a very biased report. Posted by: Robin MacMahon | Jan 30, 08 09:44 PM

The fact that we do not know why winter tires are a necessity is the exact reason why they should be mandatory. With the privilege of driving goes responsibility. With responsibility goes knowledge. If you are missing any of that, be responsible and get educated. With this knowledge will come awareness of the basic safety factors essential for all types driving. One of which is use winter tires during the cold seasons. It is part of regular maintenance. Even if you only need them once. That one time could have saved your life or anyone else's. What if you have an emergency in stormy conditions. Just make the investment. Accidents are never planned. Posted by: Angela | Jan 30, 08 09:44 PM

My father owned and operated a bus company for 16 years. He then drove for CN Roadcruiser service in Newfoundland for another 18 years. He preached the value of winter tires. His words," It puts summer driving in winter." I like winter tires because of the confidence and control it gives especially during extreme winter conditions. Posted by: Dana Burridge | Jan 30, 08 09:49 PM

Loved your show regarding winter tires. I too have winter tires on my car and keep them on year round. They are great in rainy weather as well. When they wear out I just buy a new set all around. Posted by: Joanne | Jan 30, 08 10:02 PM

In regards to your show about 'All season vs. Winter tires' what a farce. I do not need winter tires in Alberta, and for that matter, I have never required them going into British Columbia when I do go skiing at Whistler or Fernie. You are doing this story so that tire companies can charge me an additional $250 per corner for tires I'll need twice a year. That ticks me off more than anything else. Start looking at driving habits. I don't crash with 'All Season' tires when it does storm. Why do You? How fast was your Professional driver going when he lost it? If it was over 30 km/h he is an actor not a driver. I appreciate some of your consumer reports, however, this story is just wrong no matter what your so called experts say. Posted by: Wayne Tilbe | Jan 30, 08 10:04 PM

Nice to know we are safe in rental vehicles! I understand the rental agencies want to save money, but just how many rental vehicles are involved in winter accidents? Bless the victims, one more death is criminal! Just how much money are we talking about for insurance claims, and how much more do we all pay in premiums? Stopping in a 30% shorter distance would avoid many accidents! If the agencies will not look after us and our guests, make it law. We are paying anyway! Posted by: M. Shane David | Jan 30, 08 10:08 PM

No question winter tires are better, however you need to perform these tests under controlled situations. In head to head tests the winter tires were always on the outside lane. The guy with all-seasons said he thought the other guy was too far out on a turn and would lose control and then said he almost lost control himself-meaning he was not ready to apply brakes at the EXACT same time if he was watching the other driver so intently. And the guy was blatantly over-steering around the dummy with the all-seasons on, going hard left and then hard right, not how you would avoid hitting a person. The test needs to be done with both vehicles synced and remote controlled also try the same tests with so-called less talented drivers. Rally driving does not mean someone is a good street driver in the least. Try it with bad or average drivers. Posted by: cory zasitko | Jan 30, 08 10:10 PM

I have lived in Calgary for 7 years now and am very content with All-Season tires and have no desire to purchase Winter Tires. My opinion is that safe driving begins in the head. By driving more slowly and paying attention to your surroundings All-Seasons are acceptable. Even when I go skiing into the mountains, I have never had any problems with All-Seasons. I believe that Winter Tires give people a false sense of security. Instead of driving slowly, people believe that they can just whizz around in winter just like they do in the summer. Why can't people just drive more slowly in winter and pay closer attention to the road conditions? Posted by: Mark Patulski | Jan 30, 08 10:10 PM

Your program on "Winter Tyres & Rental Cars" was very interesting - I often have to rent a car (both here in Alberta & in BC) and during the winter I always ask if winter tyres are available on the cars. As your program pointed out the answer is always NO; this approach by the Rental Company is not only terrible it is in my opinion criminal. Using the reason of "cost" & "tyre storage" is totally immoral - they would very soon change their response if the law was introduced that stated "in the winter months any accidents incurred when driving a Rental Car on any tyre other than a certified Winter Tyre are the total (including ALL costs which includes injury etc.) responsibility of the Rental Company & not the renting driver!" watch how quickly the winter tyres would become standard. Posted by: David Bailey | Jan 30, 08 10:12 PM

Winter Tires are safer in Winter conditions. In other conditions Winter Tires under perform all season and seasonal tires, in all conditions the tire designed for those conditions outperform the tire that is not. I would have liked to see the multi vehicle test performed on wet and dry roads at 12c. Lane change and braking performance would have been shown to be markedly lower with Winter Tires on warm wet and dry roads. When renting in a climate like the coastal mountains do you compromise 80% of your drive at 90km/h – 110km/h on dry or wet roads to get to the mountains for the 20% of driving where you could possibly see snow? I agree you should have the choice if you want, but I should not be forced into the same decision. Renting in the Rogers Pass or most parts of Quebec in winter I demand Winter Tires, and they have been available. Posted by: T Wagner | Jan 30, 08 10:15 PM

As a commercial vehicle driver I have never had a winter accident, keeping in mind the above laws of physics I was forced to drive both school buses and trucks using the same tires as in summer. Winter tires are not the panacea. People by their very nature are going to be overconfident and still get themselves into trouble while having so-called winter tires installed. The key is keeping yourself skilled in winter driving. Take control of your speed and know when your mass. Your inertia will overcome the friction of your tires. This is why I don't like ABS. Everyone should learn threshold braking and while I know it's tough to find yourself alone on the road these days a good test is to lock your wheels on purpose at low speed then you'll know the condition of the road and compensate for surface conditions. Another point is following too closely. Double or triple your following distance from the guy in front. You should be able to see under trucks and school buses to the patch of road in front of them. This will also place you far enough back to see around their left and right sides to anticipate trouble ahead. Most of all, be patient, you'll get there. I don't accept your so-called demonstration with your so-called professional drivers. It is either staged to allow you to make your point or your so-called professional demo drivers need retraining themselves as they are clearly incompetent! Posted by: browncoat | Jan 30, 08 10:20 PM

While I would agree that winter tires are generally safer than all season tires, the show stated that the majority of Canadians use all season tires on their personal vehicles, so why should rental car agencies be required to provide something that people don't care enough about to buy for their own vehicles? Posted by: chris ford | Jan 30, 08 10:22 PM

I agree with a previous post. A lot of the test I think was phony. The driver did not turn the wheel near as fast with the winter tires as he did with the all season tires. And in the stopping test, the one van had the wheels locking up a few times with the antilock brakes working to full capacity. The van with the all season tires did not have the brakes on fully and the wheels did not even try to lockup as the other van did. If the all season tires were so bad, the wheels should have tried to lock up even more. I don't believe rental cars are in more accidents than any other vehicles on the road. As long as it's a free country, let's keep it that way. Making it law to buy a 2nd set of tires for your vehicle is an unnecessary burden on a lot of lower income people. The roads are not covered in snow and ice all 3 months of the winter! I travel through the Rockies many times every winter and have had no problems with my all season tires. I will not be wasting money changing my tires twice a year. By the way, was your program sponsored by a tire company? It almost seems so, as winter tires will cost everybody a lot of money directly benefiting the tire companies, and of course storage lots too. Having 4 extra tires on your condo's balcony will surely upset some people! Posted by: Ron Hoefsloot | Jan 30, 08 10:30 PM

Watching this program, I noticed a few things that kind of irked me. One was the condition of the course. Loose snow and warmer weather causing snow glazed ice is not really a true "used roadway" test. Try driving on roads where the snow has been beaten down to glare ice by traffic, you will find winter tires won't make such a big difference. Another factor is the temperature. at -25 solid ice on the road gets a lot more rigid and seems to get a lot stickier with a warm tire no matter what the tire type is. Another thing I noticed about the show is the background innuendo where these drivers subconsciously seem to suggest that it's everyone's god given right to drive the speed limit or faster no matter what the road conditions are. Good defensive driving (not mentioned on the show) is to adjust your speed to road conditions. It prevents a lot more accidents than just tires. And if that isn't enough, the flagman on the swerve test seemed to wave that flag about half a second earlier when they were testing the van with the winter tires. One, this test would probably had been more convincing if the timing of the flag was set up without the human error of not making the timing of both test cases exact. Also this would indicate that yes winter tires are mainly for the idiots that are never paying attention while driving and need to swerve to avoid hitting anything at the very last second. As mentioned in these posts, there are various qualities of All season tires as well as Winter tires as with all types of tires. I used to own a small car with all seasons that could plow through a snowbank whereas my company car of the same size and design with winter tires on it would get stuck on a snowflake, there's a lot to be said of the quality of each. In the end to really greatly reduce the number of accidents, what is really needed are a lot of drivers to improve their skill and practice safe driving techniques at all times while driving. (Defensive driving courses help as well) Posted by: Sam | Jan 30, 08 10:34 PM

Living and driving in northern Saskatchewan should be enough to convince anyone of the necessity of using snow tires. The nearest city is over one hour away. My family puts a lot of winter kms on each of our four cars. The last thing that I want to worry about is sliding off the road at -40 degrees C when there might not be another car in sight for half an hour. Yes, I have 16 spare tires and rims sitting in the garage at any given time BUT I know that my family is as safe as possible in the huge range of weather conditions that we face. Minus 50 to plus 35 degrees puts plenty of strain on the car AND the driver. The $600 per car that we spend is spread over a period of several years hence the cost per year is acceptable. In addition, I have not had to test the generosity of our insurance provider because of sliding into a car, tree or pedestrian BONUS !! The fact that we have not had to repair so much as a bumper or a fender defrays the cost of the tires! Remember to pack a tow rope, booster cables, a blanket, extra winter clothes and a winter survival kit including a bit of food in the trunk too. I teach mechanics to high school students so I frequently hear stories from folks who don’t have the winter tires. They are worth every penny! Posted by: Tim Paetkau | Jan 30, 08 10:36 PM

I find it funny when some people say that their all season tires are great in the snow and cold. It is obvious to me that they are simply not experienced with real winter tires. Any vehicle would be made more capable with tires appropriate for the season, and while there is an obligation on the driver to use some common sense, it only ever works well if the vehicle you are in is able to execute your commands. Some people do not realize that their expensive summer tires are downright dangerous when used in cold weather, where they lose their compliance & become hard. I would like to see a ban on the use of the term "all-season" tires, and force all manufacturers to instead post a temperature range of effectiveness of their tires on the tire. People caught even driving on snowy roads in summer tires should be fined immediately. I can see a time when insurance companies will start refusing to pay for winter accidents involving non winter tires. All season tires are, in fact, No season tires! Yes, you need 2 sets of tires, suck it up & pay the price of keeping us all safe. Posted by: Doug | Jan 30, 08 10:46 PM

I find your reporting exceptionally misinformed. Seriously CBC needs to "get a grip". I'm disgusted at your lack of knowledge on the Vancouver area and common sense altogether. I have always lived in the BC interior and for the most part a never bought winter tires. The expense is not necessary. You walked into rental places in dowtown Vancouver and asked for WINTER TIRES?! The DRIVER needs to be aware that all-seasons are not as good as winter tires, but in fact for 99% of winter driving, all seasons are just fine. Next time you do a show like this go somewhere were they actually have snow covered roads. You could have done this show in 5 minutes and told people that snow tires are better in ice an snow because they are softer and have better traction and that all-seasons are a compromise in cost and all-round performance. This show was not in any way objective. Posted by: John Lord | Jan 30, 08 10:57 PM

I watched your show. Your drivers did a lousy job of steering and braking. It was quite obvious that they deliberately made the All Season tires underperform. Oversteering and not properly applying the brakes are the two things that really stand out on the vehicle with the All Season Tires. Proper driving techniques were not done and it was a totally biased test. Posted by: Ron | Jan 30, 08 10:59 PM

I greatly appreciated your show this week on winter versus all season tires. It was nice to have the difference explained in a way that everyone who watched would understand. I`m sure there are those who will still say there isn`t any. I used winter tires when I lived in N.S. , and here in NL where I now live. We know that slowing down in bad weather, whether it be rain or snow is important but having winter tires on in winter makes me feel safer not invincible. I don`t suddenly drive crazy because I have my winter tires on. All I know is that on more than one occasion with all season tires on I have gone off the road in the winter but never since I used winter tires. I too believe that provinces should follow Quebec`s example . The roads here are far too treacherous in winter conditions. Posted by: Kaye Willisko | Jan 30, 08 11:01 PM

While I agree that consumers need to make educated decisions regarding products, to say in the broadcast that winter tires are superior to all-seasons is fool hardy (bordering on hypocritical; akin to the manufactures saying "tire xy" is the best). Here in AB we experience all seasons in a week (ie. Chinook Winds). -44C today (rock hard ice), +5C tomorrow (slush), -15C at night (crunchy ice). All tires are hard pressed to perform as well as they were designed or "lab tested". Further I am distraught about the experiment in the show. It's obvious that in the "deeper snow test track", winter tires with more tread depth, sipes, channels are going to edge out the all seasons (racing slicks on flat pavement outperform other tires too). I drive 1 SUV, 1 car & 1 heavily modified Jeep Cherokee. The 37in Interco Truxus MTs (real mud tires) would crush the winter tires' performance in the deep snow; however are effectively slicks on ice. www.intercotire.com/piclib/579.jpg. I race professionally in the snow (100kph+ in snow as deep as 6-8in) & I wouldn't trade the MTs for the world, they perform with extreme precision in these conditions, however are squirrelly at best on pavement. Driving is as much about your ability to judge the conditions as it is the technology behind the tires, brakes, traction control, physics, etc. Finally where did you get the "expert" on 2 vs 4 wheel drives? 1,2,4 wheel drive doesn't make a diff when you are using the brakes to stop, but engine braking will always yield superior braking results the more wheels you have engaged (simple physics). Ever wonder why off road rock crawlers are geared low and never use the brakes? Touch the brake on a 40 deg+ incline and you're dead; let the vehicle crawl down w/engine braking; the more wheels turning under control the better. Read user posts for 100s of tires @ www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/. Read enough reviews and between the lines and you are likely to get the real truth about a specific tire. Posted by: Rob | Jan 30, 08 11:03 PM

I have had the same problem with car rental companies not offering snow tires. Recently I found out that Rent-a-Wreck in the BC interior offers snow tires on their vehicles. They will get 100% of my business from now on. Posted by: Gary | Jan 30, 08 11:05 PM

My mother gave me her old car in November, my first car. I was moving to Kelowna and was advised by many locals that its was critical to have snow tires in Kelowna. My mother, who lives in Edmonton, only ever has All Seasons on the car. We were advised that it was the best bet to get the Nokian All Weather tires. So far they did a great job on the job from Edmonton to Kelowna in a storm, and have been great around Kelowna and the back roads to go skiing. They were worth the $649 so far and they seem to have great reviews from other on the net. Apparently these are they only true all seasons on the market, but they do have the snow flake symbol! Asking the right questions and doing research pays off. Posted by: Karma L | Jan 30, 08 11:08 PM

I have always used winter tires until the past two winters when I switched to 'All Weather' tires. I also now drive a front-wheel drive car. Your program did not compare 'All Weather' to the 'All Season' and the 'Winter' tires. My experience with them has been good so far. I commute 100+ km twice a day in all kinds of Alberta winter weather - ice, snow, fog, frost on pavement, and black ice. I would be interested to see a comparison of this 'All Weather' product. I have been assured the 'All Weather' is definitely not the same as 'All Season'. Posted by: S Fischer | Jan 30, 08 11:08 PM

The broadcast on winter tires was informative, but did not really seem to stress the importance of good, old-fashioned defensive driving. Equipment is important, yes, but so is driving for the conditions. Winter tires or no, if you're driving too fast for the conditions, you are putting yourself, and others at risk. Posted by: Bill Tuffree | Jan 30, 08 11:09 PM

Your show on winter tires was excellent and correct; as far as it went. Now you need to do a follow-up on electronic stability control ("ESC"), the most important auto safety innovation since seat belts. ESC detects skids and applies one brake to keep the vehicle going where you are steering. ESC prevents 30% of crashes and 43% of fatal crashes. However, ESC only works within the limits of available traction. ESC and winter tires together provide astounding safety. My car is equipped with Nokian Hak 5 factory studded tires - possibly the best available - and I find it all but impossible to lose control. If I start to skid, ESC intervenes instantly and the winter tires do the rest. For more information on ESC, look it up on Wikipedia or Youtube. People say you should slow down, but you cannot prevent emergency situations. When I drive with winter tires and ESC, I am safer, and so are you, because I am not likely to hit you. The real question is, why would you NOT buy winter tires and ESC? Posted by: Glen Nicholson | Jan 30, 08 11:13 PM

I would just change the channel and dismiss such lopsided "investigation" but I am both amused and then enraged that people might trust your reporting. I am totally onside with car rental companies using all season tires, provided they are maintained with proper tread depth. The argument that it would cost a great deal of money is fully valid. It's even less reasonable to ask a company in Vancouver where it almost exclusively rains, to keep winter tires in the off chance someone wants to drive to Whistler. All-wheel drive with snow tires works even better than front wheel drive. Perhaps you would insist Budget take all cars off the road for winter and stock exclusively Subarus just for the winter. The company's responsibility is to provide a safe and reliable car. It is, not should be, IS the customer's responsibility as to where they drive and under what conditions. Posted by: Derek VanDooren | Jan 30, 08 11:19 PM

A random sampling of the responses shows a wide variety of outlooks on all-seasons vs. winter tires. What the Heck! In the winter, use winter tires. In the mountains use studded winter tires. This is not a trick, this isn't a plot. In an emergency, which the winter is full of because the roads are slippery, many manufacturers make a tire for you to use, a winter tire, that increases your control when the situation gets 'loose'. "I've been using all-seasons...", "in thirty years of winter driving...", "i don't believe winter tires help...", all ridiculous. We all know winter tires help, studs even more so, stop being silly. Posted by: Sean Dinwoodie | Jan 30, 08 11:19 PM

People should be careful what they wish for. If the car rental companies are mandated to provide winter tires, expect the consumer to bear the brunt of all the costs involved including tires, rims, installation and post-winter storage. Using Discount Car Rental's pricing in your report, you've just added $8.95 per day to the cost of your rental. Posted by: Patrick | Jan 30, 08 11:26 PM

When I moved to Alberta from BC in 2002 my S10 was equipped with a new set of All Season Radials. From experience I knew that all seasons would not give me the same grip as winter tires so I set out to purchase 4. I went to what I thought was a reputable shop here in Red Deer and asked to buy a set of winter tires. I actually asked for Blizzaks, which from my research sounded like a good tire. The “expert” at the shop told me that Yokohamas are a better tire, and I believed him. Please keep in mind that I went in asking for “winter” tires. To make a long story short; after tonight’s show I went to my garage to check the tires for the snow symbol. I had a feeling that something was wrong, because all along I didn’t feel these tires were doing the job that they should. I was shocked to see the B and S and not the Snowflake symbol. I was sold another set of all seasons, although my truck already had a good set of all seasons. Not only did they endanger my safety with this scam they also charged me about $100 every year to have my “All Seasons” changed to the other “All Season” in the summer and winter. I do have the receipt from 2002 which clearly states I was purchasing “New Winters” and will be paying the shop a visit. I would also like to mention that I am female. I don’t know everything about tires, that is why I went to a so called “expert”, expecting honesty. Instead I spent $550 on a set of tires I already had. Thanks for the information, I will be dealing with this matter. Posted by: Gloria Cowan | Jan 30, 08 11:50 PM

I purchased a 2006 Toyota last year. My old car's snow tires were not the right size. So I went to Country Tire in Surrey in December to buy new snow tires. I was told by the salesman that all weathers were just as good after he put them on. He did not have any snow tires. I was desperate as I needed my car to be safe. He said I would have no problems in winter weather. I did not feel comfy getting them. Now I want to get proper snow tires after watching this program. My first instincts were correct; I've always driven with snows in the winter. What should I do now? Can I make them take back those all weathers in exchange for snow tires? Do I have a right to ask for a refund after using the tires since December 9th? Posted by: helen | Jan 30, 08 11:53 PM

In Sweden they are so convinced of the value of snow tires that they require by law that car owners must use snow tires with metal studs in the winter, and change them to summer tires in the summer. Of course one gives up the 'freedom' to decide on one's own risk, but to me the mandatory winter tires would be similar to legislating the wearing of seat belts, which cuts down on level of serious injuries and death. A double set of tires would be costlier, but the wear on each set of tires would be only for half the year. Also, what about using snow tires the year round? Posted by: John Jeglum | Jan 30, 08 11:56 PM

Sadly tonight's show on winter tires appeared to be a vendetta against the car rental companies. Totally imbalanced and far from a fair objective assessment. As an automotive writer, auto magazine editor, driver of more than a million miles in the past forty years, and a licensed automotive technician, the message broadcast tonight is a dangerous one. Rather than using race car drivers as the benchmark, why not everyday commuters who have far more experience of driving in the real world? Why focus on rental car companies? Why not car dealers? Those rental cars are supplied by the dealers you know. And the car manufacturers are guilty of installing all season tires in the first place. The use of winter tires is not performance or handling, it's better grip under normal drive conditions. tell me, will winter tires prevent cars ending up in the ditch during a snow storm? Why do we see as many 4x4 sport utes in the ditch as regular cars? Simply because drivers are misguided in their belief that these technologies will make them bullet proof. They will not. For winter tires, all wheel drive, or the much touted electronic stability control to be effective we must fix the nut behind the wheel - a factor overlooked in the program! Posted by: Dave Steventon | Jan 31, 08 12:04 AM

As stated in the story, about 70% of Canadians only use all seasons tires as compared to winter tires - could this be another marketing effort by the tire company to increase 70% more sales? PS - did CBC equip all your vehicles with winter tires? PPS - I do have winter tires on my own vehicle Posted by: Simon Smith | Jan 31, 08 12:07 AM

Congratulations on your report exposing the fraud behind all season radials, I have been a highway commercial truck driver for 10 years the road conditions can change drastically! within minutes, tread depth and soft rubber compound (found on winter tires) while adjusting speed to road conditions are the best defence for safe driving. Now that you have discussed tires on passenger vehicles try this: does the general population know that the government regulations set out by transport canada for highway trucks that weigh as much as 120 000 lbs moving at speeds of up to 120km p/h (yep! some truck drivers still do actually drive that slow) have a legal tire tread depth of just 4/32 of an inch? Scared yet? I am not only do I drive these trucks I watch the all season radial drivers dig ditches all night long. New road surface? added chemical compounds that keep it looking black (very icy) are sending drivers into the body shop by ambulance and tow truck! but don't worry these safety regulations are killing truck drivers too!! Posted by: Marc.B | Jan 31, 08 12:36 AM

As I looked at your program on the tires I was not surprised at what was shown. I was the safety coordinator at work and one of the presentation I did was on winter driving and the use of snow tires. After all the research and doing the presentation I started using snow-tires once the temperature dropped below zero C. Although there is no data regarding the use of all-season and snow-tires specifically in rainy weather. I do drive with the snow-tires throughout the rainy winter months and the traction is fine, but here is where I have a concern as I don't know much about the difference in traction between the snow tire and the all-seasons. So my concerns are what type of tire is most suitable for Vancouver winter weather? How much traction would you get during rainy weather with the snow tires? Posted by: Lyn Pedro | Jan 31, 08 12:37 AM

You didn't mention that most commercial vehicles do not have snow tires. That means prudent drivers who buy snow tires still risk being hit by the majority who don't Posted by: Glen Nicholson | Jan 31, 08 12:42 AM

Working for a car rental agency in BC I do find your report one sided. It would be nice if all tires were winter tires and all vehicles were 4 x 4 hybrids with low emissions but you have to understand we have to take 3 things into consideration. 1)Customer service - if there are no customers, you have no business. 2) Profitability - if you are not making money, why be in business? We are not a non-profit society. 3) Risk management - if we do not feel safe renting a car to somebody (no matter how much money they have) we do not rent the vehicle. Winter tires should be an option but with so many tire sizes the cost would be so huge it would be cheaper to shut down the operation in the winter than to change all the tires. If we are truly concerned about road safety at any cost would it be best to make every road a divided hwy to eliminate head on collisions and to put barricades up so nobody drives into any lakes. Buy the way when you did your little test why did you use a 2008 Caravan with winter tires vs. a later model one without winter tires? Shouldn't tests be done on a equal playing field? I do find that customers want the best product, but they will always cheap out if they can save a dime. Posted by: Richard | Jan 31, 08 12:47 AM

I feel that this was a rather lame attempt at trying to force an issue. I lived in Northeast British Columbia for many years, where winter starts at the end of September, and doesn't go away until the end of March. Not once did I consider buying winter tires. I did, however, throw away the STOCK tires on every single vehicle I have owned, and bought GOOD quality all-seaons. Tires are NOT created equally, and the stock all-seasons that come on new vehicles are junk, plain and simple. I believe that the major car manufacturers save money by putting low-quality tires on their vehicles to keep the sale price down. It all boils down to money. Forcing rental companies to keep in stock two sets of tires for every vehicle would push up rental costs, as if renting a vehicle isn't enough already. And the 70 percent of Canadian drivers who don't put winter tires on their own vehicles could probably tell you the same, that the extra cost is the deciding factor. Posted by: Mike Walker | Jan 31, 08 01:03 AM

So, what you're saying is that winter tires are necessary only on rental cars? What about the rest of us, the vast majority of drivers using our own vehicles on the roads? I've been using winter tires as long as I've owned cars. There's no way I'd drive in winter without them, and the advances in winter tire technology and design during the past decade have been just phenomenal. The cost is hardly noticeable, compared to the cost of owning a vehicle, especially spread out over the seven or eight winters that the tires will last. Posted by: D.O.N. in Saskatchewan | Jan 31, 08 01:09 AM

I drove tractor trailer for ten years and now I work in the oil patch in Alberta as a gas well operator. I get to drive on every piece of road or terrain that this can dish out. My 2004 Chev 1/2 ton had rather new BF Goodrich all terrain t/a. These tires had the sipes in them with in 22000 kms I noticed they were starting to chunk out. I was told because of the softer rubber compound that this will happen on gravel roads. So I had to get different tires before they were ruined. I bought some toyo M55. They were great tires. Wish I could have run them longer but I got hit and my truck was totaled. When I was looking for new tires I found that more and more tires were being offered with sipes and that softer rubber compound. Wish marketplace would have included some information about the different types of all seasons and winter tires. Just to put them in to two separate groups and not include or test various types of all seasons seems like maybe someone or something is trying to scare Canadian people into shoveling more of their money for products that might not really be all that necessary. Posted by: M.T. Diamond | Jan 31, 08 01:34 AM

In reply of some notes that others have posted here: One mentioned that if the new law in Québec makes it mandatory for winter tires to be on every vehicle, why did Enterprise rent them a van with 4 all seasons? The reason is that the new law does not come into effect until NEXT winter. Until then, rental car companies are under no obligation. Some were talking about studded winter tires. Sure, they may be more effective, but they are ILLEGAL in the province of Ontario (where Marketplace testing took place). Reason being, studies have shown that they damage roads when driving on bare pavement. I drive an Olds Alero and let me tell you, my Michelin X-Ice winter tires make ALL the difference. My car was in for repairs for a few days recently and I had a Chevy Impala rental car with all-season tires. Although I adored the car, its handling in snow was awful (just like my Alero is with all-season tires). My parents drive Mazda sedans (a 3 and a 6) which they got in late 2007. Their handling in snow was so horrible with the stock all-season tires that they were quick to get winter tires for both cars in mid-December. They both agree that it makes all the difference. Posted by: Sébastien M. (Ottawa, ON) | Jan 31, 08 01:37 AM

Rule #1. Don't compromise on tires and brakes. Both our vehicles have snow/ice tires all around and are mounted on separate rims. The big advantage is that there are no line ups when I want to change my tires for the appropriate season. Excellent program, however, I think that there were too many inconsistencies with the turn test. Posted by: Bjarne Fossum | Jan 31, 08 01:38 AM

I feel your show a little misleading. It is true that snow tires have better grip than all-seasons as they are softer. But, people must still drive to the conditions of the road. The area that you used with the professional rally driver was a completely snow covered surface and the speed he was traveling was obviously too fast. Your broadcast shows the same attitude that many people in the country have. If the speed limit says 100 km/h then I should be able to drive that speed and now when I purchase snow tires this will help me achieve that speed. Posted by: Chris Jeffrey | Jan 31, 08 06:03 AM

A tire is probably one of the most complex parts of your car. This "black donut" is composed of many synthetic rubbers, as well as natural rubber, carbon blacks, other chemicals and reinforcing materials. The combinations of the materials are infinite and vary from tire to tire, from company to company and so does the tire quality. Years ago, snow tires, as they were then called, differed from regular tires mainly in their tread design, it being more aggressive, more accentuated with larger channels, different patterns. Since the late 90's tire companies began to change the composition of the tread. Major changes were the use of specialized synthetic rubbers that enhanced grip on ice and snow surfaces. And so, yes the new winter tires do provide better traction on snow and ice than regular all season tires. However, whether this is the case on clear, bare, paved roads, even at the lower temperatures the program mentioned, is to my opinion not that obvious. If that were the case, many more accidents would have to be attributed to the seasonal tire and tire companies would have reacted due to the large liabilities associated with automotive safety The problem with winter tires, aside from the additional cost consumers have to pay for a set of extra tires plus installation and storage, is that these tires, due to their different type of elastomers and other chemicals used in their treads, do not last as long as regular all season tires. Hence, if not replaced more often, they also could become less efficient and give the consumer a false impression of safety. Conclusion, it is probably not all that straight forward to decide on a change from all season to winter tires as your program projected. Much will also depend on where you live, the quality of the roads, your driving capabilities and attitudes and last but not least, the quality of the tires, whether they are all season or winter tires Posted by: Guy M. De Swert | Jan 31, 08 07:17 AM

From your program it appears to be cast in stone that if you want to benefit from winter tires, you must must own two sets of tires (summer and winter) and bear the concomitant cost of seasonal swap-out. I suggest that this is again a marketing strategy of the big wheels who would gain from this myth. Any real reason why you can't run winter tires all year? Works for me. Posted by: Gary Schuell | Jan 31, 08 07:32 AM

Usually I am amazed by what I learn on Marketplace, however last night's edition was a farce. Your so called "expert drivers" definitely fixed the results. Check the first test with the dummy and you can see he turns the wheel hard right. What tire has traction when you do that? Notice when he drives with the winter tires, he gently turns the wheels, which gives ample time to hold the traction. Also, where was the side by side test on clear ice? (black ice) I don't care what kind of tires you have on a vehicle, they will slide the same. I have been driving on all seasons for years without any problems, and probably could do the same on bald, old style belted summer tires, and still get to my destination safely. As I have heard many times, "drive according to the conditions" and you will not have problems. Thanks for letting the government know where to find more tax revenue (sales/GST) Posted by: Richard Fort | Jan 31, 08 07:43 AM

Regarding your program on winter tires and rental vehicles. What an odd combination. First of all why focus on rental vehicles as the problem? I worked in the rental car industry for over 9 years (in the prairies) and the question of winter tires rarely came up. In response to the winter tires, drivers first of all need to drive to road conditions not their moods and how much of a hurry they are in! Your so-called test subjects first of all were driving too fast for the road conditions and if they could see where they were going and about to hit something would they not have started to brake well before, and if they couldn't see where they were going they should not be driving that fast in the first place. I find it ironic that you chose the only two provinces in Canada where multi-car pile ups in the winter are all too common. People need to slow down and drive like they want to live, not like they have a point to prove!! As well as cost...well you pointed out that you should not drive with only 2 winter tires on, out here in Saskatchewan, no dealer will sell you only two winter tires, so hey buck up and buy 4 tires at a cost of over $500.00 (everyone can afford that can't they? Give your head a shake!!!!!) Posted by: k | Jan 31, 08 09:36 AM

While I always used winter tires when I lived in Ottawa 25 years ago, in Calgary (where I live now) and Vancouver (where I used to live) I am not sure that winter tires are a good idea. In both places the roads are bare in winter most of the time and often above freezing during the day. While winter tires would help on the days when it is snowing, I have heard that it is not good to use them on bare roads. This is because on bare roads: 1) they wear out quickly, 2) they don't handle as well as summer tires, and 3) they "squirm" - I don't like the feeling I get on bare roads with them - it's like driving over a metal bridge (at least that was true 15 years ago when I last used them). I would like to see a future story on whether the technology has changed or whether they are still not recommended on bare roads. What percentage of the time must the roads be snow-covered before the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Posted by: Bob Crosby | Jan 31, 08 10:20 AM

I've been driving for 20 years and never had winter tires. When there is bad weather, I take the bus or train to work or simply stay home. I've noticed that people who have snow tires on their car tend to drive as if it's summer all the time. You still have to adapt your driving to weather conditions with or without snow tires. Posted by: Caterina | Jan 31, 08 10:35 AM

Winter tires should be mandatory on everyone's vehicle. I change my tires every fall and would like to think that if other motorists don't care about my safety, they should care about their own. I guess it will take a lawsuit against a motorist who has underinflated, worn all season tires to make changes. Hopefully no one will be dead because of it. P.S. Most rental cars undergo specific and regular maintenance programs unlike the millions of privately-owned cards on the road. Posted by: TC | Jan 31, 08 11:27 AM

Great Show! I remember my father changing tires on his car every October/November back in the 60's. Due to the weather change here in Southwestern ON. I don't believe it should be mandatory. If you live in the Windsor Essex area you know the amount of snow you do get is minimal, and large snow falls are few and far between. All seasonsare all that is required here. Now if you head further north to the London/Stratford area it's totally different. I believe you require snow tires there due to the large amounts of Snow Squalls and amount of snow on roads. It all depends where you live and weather conditions at the time. Posted by: Ron Beausejour | Jan 31, 08 12:07 PM

This is irresponsible journalism! To suggest the only way to drive safely in the wintertime is with snow tires, is wrong. Perhaps you could do a piece on defensive driving? How about a piece on the dangerous effects of drunk driving? I drive 50,000 kilometers a year on all-seasons and have felt perfectly safe at all times, because I adjust my driving to the weather conditions. This piece plays into the hands of people who don't want to take responsibility for themselves, and look around for someone to point a finger at when they screw up. You would be fine on bald tires if you drive safely! Posted by: Jeff | Jan 31, 08 01:15 PM

A few points: 1) Every tire is a compromise. Imho, all-season tires are so compromised they are junk in all seasons. 2) Someone who can afford to own 2 SUVs can hardly complain about the (minimal) extra cost of winter tires! 3) For those all-season tire drivers who say "just slow down": while their point is valid (match speed to conditions), the fact remains: performance=safety. Compromising performance compromises one's ability to avoid a collision: Eg. you are stopped and a truck comes up from behind at 80km/h and its brakes fail. You've planned an escape route - will your car perform? This is a common scenario taught in driving schools, and in winter conditions, you need winter tires to execute! 4) Most Canadians don't replace their tires frequently enough. Soft rubber compounds wear quickly on dry pavement and only last a couple years before they become unsafe (lots of tread left, but ice and slush traction becomes poor). 5) I now live in Ontario, the only province with a studded tire ban. In my experience, studded winter tires provide, by a long shot, the most consistent traction in all winter conditions over the full life of the tire. I recently compared brand new unstudded Nokians with very old, heavily used studded Nokians, and the old studded tires were equal or better in all winter conditions (except bare pavement). The Ontario ban is based on a city commuter's minimal driving needs and saving a bit of money on road repairs. It completely neglects the needs + safety of drivers doing long distance, rural, often out of province trips in bad weather. Bans are annoying. The consumer should be allowed to decide what tires match their winter driving needs. That said, most Canadians should get winter tires of some description. I would love to see Marketplace do a tire comparison of studded vs unstudded vs all-seasons using worn tires (say at 30000km) in various conditions. Posted by: James | Jan 31, 08 01:33 PM

I watched last nights program about winter tires verses summer tires and was in awe. Not that winter tires might be better than summer for winter driving but that market place was showing people that they could drive faster on snow covered roads than they should be and snow tires will help them do it. 60 k/hr on the snow covered road they used for demonstration purposes was just wrong. Not too mention using 2 different drivers with different driving skills to perform the demonstration. The driver in the black suv used his antilocks to braek while the driver in the white one didn't. Then had the gall to show this a definitive proof that snow tires are better for braking on snow. Market place just added more false security to those that justify speeding and their bad driving habits. I have driven for 25 yrs in winter conditions from British Columbia to Newfoundland, driven small car to full size vans, with exactly 0 snow tires used, and exactly 0 accidents. I am not a professional driver and I have habits of my own but I was taught defensive driving. Things like lay off the gas pedal when the road conditions aren't perfect, open up your following distance. If market place wants to support something useful, show the benefits of a defensive driving course vs. plain driving lessons. As for the law in Quebec, all that does is give the insurance company an extra reason not paying out in the event of an accident. "No snow tires .. too bad." Posted by: Anthony | Jan 31, 08 01:39 PM

I drive a four wheel drive truck out here in Alberta. I believe that snow tires are a better option than all-season tires but I was wondering how an all-terrain tire would compare to both the all-season and snow tires? Would it be any better than the all-season but not as good as the snow tire? Or is the all-terrain just another marketing gimmick. The tires on my personal truck (all-terrain) have a much more aggressive tread than the tires on my work truck (all-season). But they are completely different vehicles and react completely different in similar situations. Posted by: Dan | Jan 31, 08 02:02 PM

I have had top brand name winter tires for the last 4 years because of the recent technological advances in rubber compound to address the issues of ice. That being said, I drove for 12 years in Western Canada, having lived in Winnipeg and Calgary, and another 12 years in Ontario living in the GTA, and never had an accident of any type. (In Western Canada I drove around 40K kilometers per year and and in Ontario I averaged 55K kilometers per year.) The recent program was disappointing because the comparisons were all done in snow conditions, not icy conditions, the type of conditions for which most urban dwellers are faced with. Posted by: Ted Linklater | Jan 31, 08 03:44 PM

I would like to take this time to thank you Marketplace for the slander that you've just published towards rental car companies and the hard working individuals who make an income from this industry. "Don't rent a car this February without snow tires." in my mind is direct slander towards the car rental industry. This program was completely biased and will affect the individuals at the rental counters in which you questioned. I reside in Ottawa and there have only been maybe 3 days in which I would have considered snow tires. I would enjoy seeing a study on the amount of accidents with snow tires compared to accidents with regular all seasons. I've heard first hand from individuals with snow tires, that they are more cocky and confident when driving in bad conditions.... basically admitting that they do not leave enough room, drive at higher speeds etc... which in bad conditions doesn't matter what type of tire you have on will cause accidents.... It's poor driving, not tires! To make mandatory snow tires is appalling! What about the mass majority of middle class citizens in our country who just get by after all of our taxations from the government? They're going to have to go out against their own will to put snow tires on their vehicle? So does that mean that little Suzie doesn't get Ballet lessons? Or little Billy doesn't get those new hockey skates he so desperately wants? All because their Dad or Mom has to fork over $700 - $900 dollars next winter to put snow tires on! That's one whole pay cheque for the majority of citizens! Please next time look at the big picture and how things actually affect the citizens of a province or the country. Posted by: Bob Dylan | Jan 31, 08 04:36 PM

Like many people living in a big city, I live in an apartment building. Where am I supposed to keep an extra set of tires when I hardly have enough space to store my basic belongings? Also, not everyone has hundreds of dollars lying around in savings to spend on a set of tires. If I had the space and the money, I would definitely buy winter tires. Unfortunately, I do not have that luxury and I have a feeling there are many more people out there facing similar circumstances. I hope other provincial governments will not follow the lead of the Quebec government by making winter tires mandatory. Posted by: p | Jan 31, 08 08:13 PM

like some of your commentors I thought the program was one sided as thought marketplace was supporting the tire companies to make quick sales. Have the drivers tried to replace the old tires with the same new tire? The results would be the same as snow tires under most conditions. The biggest problem is drivers themselves: they want to drive like summer conditions in winter. Just use common sense. Unless conditions are extreme I feel having extra tires is a waste. I have driven for over 60 years under every condition and found your program hard to watch. Posted by: Dan Werbiski | Jan 31, 08 09:24 PM

I have winter tires on my vehicle and I know how much better they perform. however to be an effective winter driver one must slow down and drive defensively. Too many people drive poorly in winter conditions, they drive like they do in the spring, summer and fall. Why didn't your show talk about that? I highly doubt that "all winter accidents" are because people are driving with all season tires and rather that they just don't know how to drive winter conditions. Posted by: k hoogeveen | Jan 31, 08 09:38 PM

Perhaps when a winter vehicle fatality is reported, the report should indicate whether the car had winter tires or not. Then people might start getting the message. Posted by: Laverne Rude | Jan 31, 08 10:42 PM

I noticed on one of your snow tire tests you used 2 different model years of Dodge Caravans. The van with the all season tires was not a 2008- no stability control system, yet the snow tire vehicle was a 2008 with stability control. I purchased a Kia Rondo last year because stability control was standard, and now I believe this feature to be one of the most significant safety features to come along in the last few years. A proper comparison should compare apples to apples. I'm also curious as to how snow tires perform on bare dry pavement in comparison to all seasons? Posted by: TONY PETTY | Jan 31, 08 11:23 PM

4-wheel drive is the way to go! We live on a hillside on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. We're at the end of a kilometre long private road. We've had a lot of snow this year. We have two cars, a Honda Accord station wagon with 4 Nokia snow tires and a Kia Sorrento 4-wheel drive. We have made a number of comparison runs. The Accord had to be left at the bottom on the main road because my husband could not even drive up to our house. That's when we purchased the 4 wheel-drive Sorrento, which we love. It has regular all-season tires and we've never been stuck once. The salesman told us to try it with the regular tires before we purchased 4 snow tires. We've never needed them. A friend has regular all seasons and we have to meet her at the bottom of the road every time she visits. One can always rent 4-wheel drive vehicles. Posted by: Jean | Feb 1, 08 12:13 AM

The term "All Season Tires" came from the mid '70's. At that point in time the tire and automotive industries were changing from bias ply tires to radial ply tires. Radial tires provided more fuel mileage, but they were more expensive than traditional tires. So to make them more acceptable they were marketed as All Season. This was partly true as radial tires provided more traction and steering control than traditional bias ply tires. So radial tires were promoted as "All Season". Sure you had to pay more for radial tires, but if you didn't have to buy a set of snow tires too, the new radial tires' price tag was easier to swallow. So the myth of All Season traction was born. However, it was not a good move. Winter radials provide superior traction, steering, and braking control over All Season tires. I have 4 winter radials and a full-size winter spare tire too. I do have one negative comment about the program. When the pro driver was driving on all season tires and tried to swerve around the dummy he was over correcting with his steering. He even commented about side to side steering wheel lock. Then when he tried to avoid the dummy with winter tires he was doing the Young Drivers of Canada thing where you brake, swerve, and avoid. Because his steering was less severe, he was able to maintain more control of the vehicle. It was not apples to apples, but more like an apples to oranges comparison. STILL - winter tires are superior to All Season tires. If you can't afford both, buy the winter tires and drive them all year. They will wear out faster, but you will be safer in the long run. Winter tires traditionally have more sipe cuts in the tread which will give you better wet pavement control in rainy spring and fall. If you live in Vancouver B.C. you will have lots of wet weather driving!! Posted by: Mark Carlson | Feb 1, 08 02:51 AM

I do have winter tires on my car, but my husband and I are at odds about whether or not they are still effective. It would have been helpful to have a guide as to how long winter tires should be kept. Is there a way to measure the effectiveness of the tire? Posted by: Helene Paquette | Feb 1, 08 06:29 AM

Just out of curiosity are all CBC company cars outfitted with winter tires ? Posted by: Ross | Feb 1, 08 09:41 AM

After reading the comments by some of the earlier posters in this forum, it seems some of them did not pay full attention to the Marketplace show on winter tires. Many here seem to think that their "3 season tires" are adequate on bare winter roads. This show clearly stated that when the outside temperature drops below 5 degrees, even the worst winter tire is superior in grip thanks to a much softer, more pliable rubber compound used in the winter tire. Independent tests have proven this time and again. Now there is a push to allow police to charge drivers involved in collisions in wintry weather that do not have winter tires on their vehicles. For those who also think that the added expense of owning 4 winter tires is prohibitive, again this doesn't hold up. First, your 3 season tires (and alloy wheel rims) will last a lot longer. Secondly you save considerable monies from avoiding costly auto repairs from accident damage and third you keep a good driving record in the eyes of your insurance company. Think winter tires are a bad investment? Think again. Posted by: Harvey | Feb 1, 08 09:46 AM

I was wondering why the demonstration was on snow and not on an icier surface? I think that you should demonstrate the use of the different types of tires on more realistic driving surfaces, such as black ice. Freshly plowed roads have a tendency to be more like a skating rink. The example of the winter tires appeared to be at a slower rate of speed. Thanks to your program I have realized that the tires that I only just purchased are M/S when I specifically asked for winter tires! I will be returning those tires as I had just last summer purchased all season tires from the same well known tire shop! Posted by: CHRISTINE ZOLKOWSKI | Feb 1, 08 10:32 AM

A lot of people disagree that winter tyres are superior to all season tyres. Main reason for this attitude is because people are too cheap to equip their vehicles with the necessary safety requirements for safer driving. That's also why there is no compulsory yearly vehicle inspection, imagine the political stir! Well it's up to you, but I'm going into the auto body business! You're going to pay one way or another. Posted by: Daniel Leong | Feb 1, 08 10:33 AM

Your video showing two minivans under test was totally misleading. It is obvious that the van with all season tire had FRONT WHEEL DRIVE ONLY, AND THEREFORE THE REAR WHEELS WERE FREE TO SLIDE AWAY having no drive link. Take a look at it again and you will see the wheels just gliding along. The other van was obviously in 4 wheel drive. A very unfair test ! Posted by: STAN | Feb 1, 08 01:22 PM

I just had installed winter tires on my VW EOS today purchased from VW Waterloo in Ontario. We have heavy snow falls today perfect for testing. The dealer sold me Goodyear Ultra Grips. My bill shows the item is a Winter tire. Goodyear classifies these tires as winter tires (go to www.goodyear.ca). Here is the interesting part: It has both the M+S marking and the single Snow Flake (surrounded by a mountain like outline) on it. So now I am confused. Can M+S not be exclusive to all season tires when combined with other markings ? Did I buy all season or winter tires ?? I will need follow this up... Posted by: Mario G. | Feb 1, 08 01:39 PM

To you people who think all-season tyres are safer in winter here's a simple scenario. Do you wear smooth soled Italian leather shoes in the winter? Likewise, do you wear Sorel's in the summer? So, yes the Sorel's will work in the summer but your feet will be a bit sweaty. Try to walk on a slippery sidewalk in the winter with your nice expensive Italian leather soled shoes and see how many times you backside goes trackside. It's about SAFETY people. Those of you that think all-seasons work in winter need professional help. I cover the entire province of B.C. doing some 70,000kms per year, I run winter studded tyres and summers. My girlfiend recently bought a brand new vehicle with Michelin MXM4 high performance sport tyres. They work great in the rain and dry but the slightest snow on the ground means no traction and a very unsafe drive so needless to say I changed the tyres last week to Nokian RSi. I can now rest assured she has a safe car to get her around with our family in the back. She just has to be aware of you people with all-season that may not stop in time!!!! Even with winter tyres you still have to use common sense and adjust your driving to the conditions. Every idiot knows that, they just choose to ignore it. Well, let them go by and wave as you pass them in the ditch further up the road. No body said you have to copy them. Maybe we should look at dealerships selling new vehicles with 2 sets of tyres (summer & winter)? Would you really notice the extra $1,000 in the buying price? Probably not. Then we'd all have no excuse. Maybe even insurance rates would go down to help compensate. How about a rebate? Our options are endless, our LIVES are PRICELESS. Drive safely and keep the shiny side up this winter! Posted by: Eriki | Feb 1, 08 02:45 PM

I think you've attempted to provide a great service, but by comparing apples to oranges in your test vehicles you've done more harm than good with people who have limited knowledge. I believe that you would have seen less dramatic but similar results had you not chosen to mount the all season tires on vehicles without stability control and ABS and the winter tires on vehicles with ABS and stability/traction control systems. You've tainted a perfectly good test by looking for high drama, instead of good science. Posted by: Michael Kelly | Feb 1, 08 02:59 PM

There is much debate over why so many loss of control accidents, with many varying opinions from experts and the public. But what if we take everything out of the equation but the car? The most common scenario involving loss of control is a vehicle traveling on an icy road and a front wheel coming into contact with a ridge of slush or hard snow and the vehicle starting to pivot out of control. We know the point at which the vehicle will start to pivot and that is when one front wheel has more traction than both rear wheels combined. 67% front weight to 33% rear weight. To understand how a vehicle will get to this point we need to understand that upon impact with the slush or snow weight is shifted to the front of the vehicle making the front of the vehicle heavier and the rear of the vehicle lighter. The calculation for weight shift is (G force, percentage weight of the car x height of centre of gravity) divided by the wheelbase. So a half G force on an average car is (50x20”) /110” =9% weight transfer. This means a 50/50 balanced vehicle with an encountered force of 50% of the weight of the vehicle (.5G) will transfer 9% of its weight with a resulting weight ratio of 50+9 / 50-9 or 59/41. So to reach 67/33 the following forces have to be present to destabilize the following weight ratios; 1. 50/50 --.95G 2. 55/45 --.70G 3. 60/40 --.42G 4. 63/37 --.26G 5. 64/36 --.19G 6. 65/35 --.11G 7. 66/34 --.06G This is a static calculation, not taking into effect wind or slope of the road surface and the fact that on a front wheel drive, a slowing force on one front wheel causes a speed up effect on the opposite wheel. So the force required to destabilize will be less than what is shown. Posted by: Harvey McFadden | Feb 1, 08 03:10 PM

All this hype about winter tires. They do not allow the motorist to see any better. Winter tires will only create a false sense of security. And because of this, car drivers will only drive faster and faster. Why? That is because speed & tailgating is the problem in winter. If there is snow on the road, most motorists slow down. When they plow the road, the motorist goes a little faster. When they salt the road a lot of motorists think road conditions are like summer, and drive like it is. A few years ago when 4X4 vehicles came out. (They were all the rage) "They will go through anything". They too, didn't help the driver to see any better. Thusly, when they got stuck, they were stuck. Many times a long way from help or home. Posted by: Ron Ferguson | Feb 1, 08 03:30 PM

For those of you who think this is some kind of "conspiracy" by the tire manufacturers or government to make you spend more money for a set of winter tires, you fail to remember that because you swap between your 2 sets of tires ("all" seasons and winters), your all-seasons will last you approximately twice as long than if you used them all year around. So you are really aren't spending more on tires, maybe up front you are, but it evens out in the long run. Also, most of you who say you don't "think" winter tires are necessary, have probably not spent a great deal of time driving with winter tires. You can't make a sound judgment until you have. The funniest claim I have read here are those that say, "I have driven for 20 years without winter tires and never had an accident, so I don't need them!" Then why don't you drive without your seatbelt on then? You haven't had an accident in 20 years, so why bother putting your seatbelt on, because you obviously don't need it! It just gets in the way and slows you down when getting in and out of the car! Posted by: James | Feb 1, 08 08:49 PM

Even though I've driven safely through 18 Manitoba winters, I finally decided to consider winter tires. I purchased a set of Nokian tires (made in Finland) which are the only winter rated all-weather (NOT all season) tires. They are absolutely fantastic! I would recommend them to anyone. They turned my Ford Focus into a road-gripping pleasure to drive. Honestly it feels like I have all wheel control & all wheel drive now. Now if the weather is poor and I HAVE to go out, I can, safely. These tires, for little more that the cost of all seasons, give you the best of both worlds without changing & storing tires. And no, I don't own a tire store, but it does sound like a good investment, considering the new legislation on the horizon! Posted by: Cathie Crossin | Feb 2, 08 01:46 AM

Something not mentioned in during the coverage or follow-up that I have seen is that some vehicle manufacturers are selling vehicles with tire sizes that are not available as snow tires. I bought a 2007 Toyota Tundra in May of last year and learned that there were no snow tires available in the size for the truck. I had to get a "close enough" size for which I paid dearly. There seems to be an absence of communication between manufacturers of tires and vehicles. Posted by: John Bailey | Feb 2, 08 03:14 PM

The one thing that was never addressed is what safety concerns there are with leaving winter tires on your car all year round. Part of the biggest issue with winter tires is that we are required to keep two sets of tires, with the storage and cost issues that go along with that. All seasons are popular because it removes the necessity to change tires. If your report shows that winter tires are safer than all seasons, then you ignored the very real possibility of leaving winter tires on your car all year round. It strikes me they will increase your safety level in the summer as well (the softer rubber seemed safer, according to your expert, regardless of temperature). The main reason all seasons are so popular is to remove the annoyance of having to change tires twice a year. It would probably be FAR easier to get wider acceptance of winter tires if they were sold as "All Seasons" and consumers were told to drive on winter tires all the time. And lets face it, in Canada, even in July we can be hit with a freak blizzard ... doesn't it make sense to always be prepared? Posted by: Lyle Bateman | Feb 2, 08 04:00 PM

I'm a winter tire advocate in Nova Scotia and whole heartedly agree with the findings of your program. I would just like to report that when my employer, the local Health Authority, implemented a car rental policy to require winter tires when employees rented, the local Enterprise rental dealer quickly responded by offering winter tires. Safe Driving All! Posted by: Derek | Feb 2, 08 04:13 PM

What holds true for all season tires in the winter also applies to summer driving as well, they are a compromise under all driving conditions. In summer driving they don't provide the traction, handling, ride comfort and WEAR of a proper summer tire. Many think that they save money with all season tires, but if you consider the 'end cost', four summer and four winter premium quality tires is far cheaper. The most import part of your vehicle is the tires and many don't have a clue as to their care. Running your tires at 10% over or under the recommended pressure causes excessive wear, less traction and can cause excessive fuel consumption. Check and adjust the tire pressures every time the ambient temperature makes dramatic changes. That's how you save money, not buy buying cheap, or for that matter, expensive all season tires. I got 100,000 MILES (yup miles, not km)from the tires on my 4X4 by doing something as simple as that. Oh, and looking after that 4X4 got me 547,000 MILES before I replaced it. Posted by: Frank Weaver | Feb 2, 08 04:35 PM

We are attacking the wrong group. We should be talking to the tire manufacturers and get them to remove the "ALL SEASON TIRE" label and replace it with "SUMMER TIRE". In my opinion this would make a more objective approach. Posted by: Ken | Feb 2, 08 04:57 PM

The fact that there are no winter tires available for rentals from Vancouver for guests traveling up to Whistler shocks me! Perhaps the rental car companies should be made aware that vehicles not equipped with proper winter tires or chains are not permitted on the Sea to Sky Highway and will be turned back during winter conditions! Posted by: Kelly | Feb 2, 08 05:55 PM

I have lived in Whistler BC and driven winter highways for over 25 years. I would not consider traveling to this resort without a suitably equipped vehicle with winter tires. Our Highway 99 has a fearsome reputation but 99% of the problems are caused by inadequately equipped vehicles that lose control and cause accidents and highway closures. All Seasons are DEFINITELY not sufficient for this environment. I believe the rental car industry that makes so much money supplying vehicles to tourists coming to Whistler should be held legally liable when the vehicles they rent are involved in accidents. Posted by: Sharon Broatch | Feb 2, 08 08:06 PM

While I usually enjoy Marketplace this episode was ridiculous. Why wasn't the stat of how many hours in a winter one would be exposed to such conditions (remember snowplows and salters). Educating people is one thing, pushing for a law requiring snowtires - back off. I also agree with many, the tests were rigged, as well, I noticed in every city scene in the program the roads were not only snow free, they were dry and this is the reality of city driving the majority of the time. Posted by: Reno | Feb 2, 08 08:10 PM

I am quite disappointed by the "artistic licence" that Marketplace takes in telling their "Stories". In particular this story on winter tires, leaves fact and science behind to paint a picture that will likely scare the average viewer. For example, the driving tests you did would never pass even a high school scientific comparison test since they were not done in a "blind" situation. Drivers knew which tire and vehicle they drove, and thus could (even if unintentionally) have affected the results. Proof of this can be seen in the footage where the two SUV's on the track were stopping. You can see the anti lock brakes pulsing the tires in the Winter tire SUV as it came to a stop, but the all season SUV, as it slid past the stopped suv DID NOT have pulsating tires, indicating the driver was not applying the brakes as hard as the other driver, thus producing an invalid result. Other examples in the show indicate the same "artistic" license being taken by your producers to tell the story in spite of the evidence. If you want to have a show based on FICTION, then keep doing what you're doing. The alternative would be to apply some higher journalistic integrity to telling factual stories accurately. Most of you came from the news side, so you know what those journalistic rules are. I (and no doubt other viewers) would appreciate you following them especially in these types of important stories. Glossing over the truth is never good. The bottom line in the story could be the same, but you'd end up with greater credibility. Posted by: Chico Barker | Feb 2, 08 08:14 PM

Why don't reporters ask relevant questions. There are two sides to every story. Like why not make all season radials with softer rubber? In my opinion if softer tires stop better on snow then they should stop even better on a dry surface. And going to a spokes person for the company that supplies rubber for tires and asking him if he thinks everyone should have Winter tires installed on their vehicle is like asking the cigarette companies if smoking should be banned. You guys are just a free advertisement for some corporate lobby group to make big money by getting laws changed to force consumers to to purchase a second set of tires. You should be asking questions regarding the damage producing twice as many tires as we need has on the environment or how that would affect our dwindling oil supplies. Then maybe like man made global warming there really isn't any shortage at all. Posted by: Fank Slovo | Feb 2, 08 08:16 PM

Your program made the statement that the cost of a set of winter tires is offset by the fact that you can go twice as far. This is generally not true. Winter tires wear much faster than all-weather tires, particularly every time they go on no-snow roads. Posted by: Ian Watson | Feb 2, 08 10:04 PM

I use winter tires on my car and my wife's car. Three years ago, when my wife bought a new car, I purchased new "winter tires" for it. The brand I wanted was too expensive, so I settled for a less expensive tire, and was re-assured by the tire-dealer that they were good winter tires, and were rated for winter driving. It turns out they are M+S. They don't have the "Mountain-and-snow-flake" symbol. Boy, am I mad!!! I checked the tire manufacturer's website, and they are indeed being marketed as "winter tires" even though they are M+S. Thank you for your report. I will do some more research and I will be replacing these M+S "winter tires" with REAL winter tires. By the way, last month I bought a new car, and new winter tires for it. These ones have the mountain-and-snow-flake. Whew!!! Thank you for your report. Posted by: Stephen Hood | Feb 2, 08 10:42 PM

The marketplace test was too simplistic. A key factor to be considered: On dry or wet roads above 5 degrees (not rare in Canadian winters), winter tires are likely less safe than all seasons or summer tires. The performance of any tire is a compromise. Drivers must understand this and drive accordingly. Posted by: Dave | Feb 3, 08 06:59 AM

I would like to share my experience of renting a car in St.John's NL just last week. We had several days of poor weather and when I was setting up the rental I asked for snow tires. They said there was none available. I could be put on a list, but chances are that I would get my car back from repair before they could provide a car. I asked for a heavier vehicle such as an SUV or truck. They provided me with an SUV with all seasons, after some debate that there may be an additional charge. I asked what would happen if I had an accident and it was found due to the inability to stop safely; they stated I could purchase extra insurance or use my own. I found it very difficult to stop, and backing out of an icy driveway was not easy. I followed the same driving conditions that I would with my own car (which has studded winter tires). I found that I was not comfortable driving the vehicle as it would not stop, move easily on ice, or began to fishtail in some conditions. I made this comment to the rental agency. And needless to say was very pleased to get my own car back, which with the same road conditions the day I exchanged my car did not have the issues with stopping or traction. Posted by: Jennifer | Feb 3, 08 11:28 AM

I've been working in the tire industry for 10 years and there is a huge difference in all-season to winter tires. All-season tires are not safe for highway driving in Canadian winters. Sure when the highway is plowed and its a sunny day they would be fine, but get in the middle of a snow storm and try to stay on the road. The fact that rental companies don't supply winter tires is dangerous. How many rental vans get into accidents on the highways transporting kids to sporting events? If there is one then that is one to many. There should be a law where rental companies should have to supply winter tires to their vehicles during winter months. It is without a doubt winter tires are safer and there are different types of winter tires that are safer then others. I'll also agree with the rental companies there should be a higher cost in winter to offset the cost of the tires. I think the federal government should get behind this issue and show the public they care about our safety. Posted by: Doug | Feb 3, 08 11:44 AM

I'm a licensed auto mechanic and I drive a 4 wheel drive half ton. I have 2 sets of rims and tires and totally believe in winter tires. I do agree with a lot of the comments about enforcing, especially in regards to retired people. They do not have to go out in bad weather, and that is when you really need winter tires. If you don't have to, don't go out. My dad is retired and he runs 2 sets of rims and tires. There is a difference in winter versus all season, as much as there is a difference in the quality of tire you buy. You get what you pay for Posted by: john sanderson | Feb 3, 08 11:51 AM

I am glad that Quebec will be forcing rental car companies to put winter tires on all of their cars (since I live here). I am an inexperienced driver and I periodically rent cars. I am sure there are lots of inexperienced drivers out there renting cars. These are the last people that you want to not have winter tires. Inexperienced drivers don't need help ending up in a snowbank. Posted by: Ernie Cheapside | Feb 3, 08 12:32 PM

Friday, Feb 1 I had to drive alongside and behind vehicles with all season tires trying to get up steep slopes during a sleet storm in Montreal. One car was stuck trying to get up Cedar from Pine Ave near the Montreal General Hospital. It was very difficult, even for me with 4 brand new snow tires. This brings me to my next comment about driver education. This morning I took my daughter to a shopping mall parking lot before the stores opened to teach her how to control the car in deep snow and on icy patches. The driving schools do not teach this skill, so a lot of drivers don't have a clue how to react in difficult situations in these conditions. A few years ago, while driving in these conditions, she spun out the car and caused a lot of damage. We were lucky that there were no oncoming cars as we spun around and crossed 3 lanes to land on a light post. The Quebec Government should make it a requirement for the schools to include winter driving skills in their programs. Posted by: Reuben Schwartzman | Feb 3, 08 12:38 PM

I was disappointed by how poorly this episode was done. Your test between the all season tyres and winter tyres was invalid. I don't dispute what the results would be and were, however you had individuals testing these tyres, who both had a preconceived notion of the outcome, which in my opinion, is indicative of poor testing methods and standards. Your show is supposed to educate as well as entertain but this episode has me questioning your methods, and failure to use the Scientific method has me questioning this show's credibility. To illustrate my point: If you had two people testing cars and told both testers that one car had the best brakes ever conceived for a car, and the other the worst, but unknown to the testers, both cars had the exact same brakes. What do you think the outcome would be? I can tell you, with quite a bit of certainty, the person who was told they had the best brakes ever made, would report favorably on the performance of said brakes, with the other person having a reciprocal view of the brakes. Ergo, your test on tyres was invalid. I am insulted that the producers would think their audience to be unable to notice this gross error. Posted by: Dwayne | Feb 3, 08 12:52 PM

Its interesting to read the e-mails from people who say "I don't need winter tires. I just drive slower". What about the other people on all-seasons who DON'T driver slower? Wouldn't the "slow drivers" feel better knowing that others on the road had winter tires? A winter tire regulation would help protect the slow drivers from becoming victims of others' bad driving. As an aside, my inexperienced 17 year old daughter wrote off our vehicle in the first snow of the winter in November (and yes, we had snow tires). Even though under my insurance policy I could have rented a replacement vehicle for a limited number of days, I chose not to, knowing that rental cars in northern BC don't have snow tires. Fortunately I had that choice. Many people don't. Posted by: Ruth Campbell | Feb 3, 08 12:52 PM

I do agree with others that it was unfair to judge the rental car companies for not using winter tires. More so it should have been explained as to why they were not using them, bottom line the cost involved for them. Regardless, winter tires do offer much better traction then all seasons. I have been using my Toyo winter tires on both vehicles for almost 4 years and would never go back. Even if it snowed for only one day in the winter, it would be worth the change. They should be made mandatory in Ontario, as these are public roads that everyone drives on and they should be made as safe as possible for everybody. If you have the money to buy a car then you should not have problems in affording the "average cost of winter tires at $650". Lastly, even with winter tires you still need to drive slowly and keep your distance. Winter tires don't make you Superdriver. Posted by: Tony M | Feb 3, 08 12:53 PM

Winter tires provide substantially reduced road grip and control at temperatures above 45° (7.22 °C). Accordingly non-tire industry authorities discourage their use when local winter temperatures reach or exceed this value. Local southern Ontario temperatures this winter have reached 56° (13.33°C). The government’s resources would be better directed toward the tire industry manufacturing competent all-weather tires and requiring car manufacturers to equip new vehicles with them. Posted by: Gardiner Westbound | Feb 3, 08 01:09 PM

You did not do a test comparison on how Winter Tires perform in dry and or wet conditions. I live in the southern ON. If I drive on actual snow covered roads more than 15 days a year that would be a lot. Even those days that have some snow it is usually cleared off with in the day, or melted. Most of my driving in winter in on wet roads. How do snow tires or winter tires stand up in performance to all season or even summer tires? I really would have liked to have seen you do a test comparing the two types or tires on wet road driving conditions and even dry roads. What happens if people don't remove their snow tires when it gets warmer? Is there a disadvantage to using winter tires all tear long?. Posted by: Dave C | Feb 3, 08 01:11 PM

In Vancouver, you can rent special SUVs with ski racks for driving to Whistler. Unfortunately it won't have snow tires. When your ski week is over and your rental ski car can't stay on the road, you can take a bus back to Vancouver and pay to have someone drive your rental ski SUV back to Vancouver when the roads are clear. Posted by: Jim | Feb 3, 08 01:11 PM

I have been trying to get people to understand for decades now, exactly what Market Place Experts have just said in this video and I agree 100% with the results found by these experts. It has nothing to do with the label on the tire or the aggressiveness of the tread but instead the temperature at which the rubber compound becomes too hard to grip the ice and snow. I read one person's comments here where he suggests driving on winter tires year round, and yes it is possible and wont hurt anything to my knowledge, but remember they are made of a softer rubber compound and will wear much faster when used on hot dry pavement during the summer months, leaving you with very little tread depth for proper traction come the following winter. I understand this person's concerns about having to pay the dismount and remount and balancing fees twice a year to make the change, and this can become quite costly done this way. This is why for the last 20 or so years whenever I change vehicles, if the winter tires I had for the last vehicle don't fit the new vehicle I go out and purchase a used set of steel rims from an auto wrecker at an average cost of $10.00/wheel and mount and balance my 4 new winter tires on the steel rims for the winter months, and leave them mounted till they're worn out. When spring arrives I simply jack up the vehicle and change one wheel at a time myself or I take all 4 wheels to a tire shop and only pay to have them switched at a much lower cost than unmounting and remounting and rebalancing them. I think that this should become law all across Canada to enforce winter tires on all vehicles traveling on Canadian roads, no matter where they are from. This would prevent a lot of accidents, save many lives, and eventually lower our insurance costs. Think about it for just a moment and I'm sure you'll agree! Lives are worth a lot more than a hunk of rubber! Posted by: Robert Bulley | Feb 3, 08 02:58 PM

We live in Windsor, Ontario - in the so-called "Banana Belt" of Canada. A few years back, when we bought our car, it came with a nice set of all season tires. The first snowfall of the year (about 5") saw us spinning, slipping and sliding. We put snow tires on the next day and have every winter since. What a difference they make! Our recent snowfall had drivers slipping about all over the place. Living in a city that is sluggish at salting and clearing the roads, snow ties are a must! Posted by: Susan | Feb 3, 08 03:51 PM

What an interesting topic for a show, "are snow tires better in snow than all season tires?". What is your next project? "Are 100 watt light bulbs brighter than 40 watt light bulbs?". Your show was a total waste of time, effort, and money. The tests you performed were obviously rigged, as most of your viewers realized as soon as they saw the first example. Your credibility was shot early in the show, I only continued watching to see how bad things would get, and things got bad. Did you ask your "expert" if snow tires with 80,000 K on them were better than a new set of all season tires? Going after the rental companies was a laugh. The large charge for the rental of the BMW was likely much more a factor of the BMW being 3 times the cost of the regular Chev Malibu or whatever you were comparing it with. Going after counter people at car rental agencies is very low. Do you think they set company policy? I think you were just trying to get one of them to say something you could blow completely out of proportion. If you really want to help educate drivers about their tires, then do it, start with some research, some honest reporting, cut out the drama and sensationalism, and tell the whole story. Posted by: dan | Feb 3, 08 04:31 PM

All this debate over winter tires is funny. I notice most people saying that they are a waste of money have never actually tried them. The extra cost argument doesn't go very far either. You can "drive to the weather conditions" all you want but it takes just one person who isn't that puts you in a situation where winter tires would be the difference of avoiding someone or writing off your car. The extra bit of expense doesn't seem that much when faced with higher insurance premiums for years after an accident. For those of you who haven't tried them I encourage you to. I just confirmed the huge difference to myself again recently (have been running winters for a few years)when switching to winters on my newly purchased (used) Subaru WRX. It had Falken "all season" tires with the M+S on them. After switching to some cheaper Canadian Tire Nordic winters it was like driving a different vehicle, stopping, handling and accelerating was incredible! I think the report was a little hard on rental companies and they could have been a little more controlled in their tests. I think CBC should do another show on just winter tire benefits in various testing conditions and with more controls in place. One person asked about running winters all year which you can do but when conditions get warmer the tread life decreases rapidly. In the end there is just no price on peace of mind. I am going to stick with my winter tires for winter driving. Posted by: Jason | Feb 3, 08 06:33 PM

I agree that winter tires are likely better. But a good driver with extremely bad tires will get into less accidents than a bad driver with the best tires. What's more, I recall reading a study that said found that in the end anti-skid brakes didn't prevent any more accidents because the bad drivers just pushed their stopping distance to the limit. This is what bad drivers will do with winter tires. Posted by: Ernie Zelinski | Feb 3, 08 08:09 PM

Would it not make sense for car manufacturers to sell a set of winter tires with the vehicle also? The price of the tires is nothing compared to the price of the car. If it's a safety issue (which was documented), I'm sure the government would subsidize the cost somehow. Posted by: gr | Feb 4, 08 09:19 AM

Marketplace is a plethora of information and the program about winter tires was interesting. It is common sense to have snow tires installed for winter driving. I certainly feel safer with them. For car rental companies to be indifferent to safety, especially during winter months is unacceptable. These individuals need to get their heads out of the snow! Winter tires should be mandatory in every province. Posted by: Susan | Feb 4, 08 10:05 AM

I was quite shocked to find out that the "all season" tires we have on both our cars are not really "all season" at all! The information given by the tire industry and in this case also by the leading rental companies about the usage of the the so-called "all season" tires is obviously misleading and false. They deliberately communicate that all seasons are perfectly all right knowing that this is not the case. I feel that the public opinion is being manipulated by the marketing and pr strategies of the powerful tire industry/car rental companies who obviously do not care about safety. This is unbelievable and to my understanding against the law. No reason to say that until winter tires will be required by law, it is up to each consumer/driver to decide whether to change tires or not. But the least thing I would expect is correct background information such as given in the year 2008 (!!!) by your report. Unbelievable!!! I personally rented a car with "all season" tires at AVIS in snowy conditions before Christmas (trusting that these tires are up to Canadian winters) and happened to have a (minor) accident due to the bad gripping and sliding with two small children on board. I feel misled by AVIS and deliberately exposed to very unsafe conditions. I will definitely look into this a little closer. P.S.: As a German citizen who moved to Canada a year ago, I was used to changing tires twice per year (winter and summer tires) all my life. There was no official law until a couple of years ago. Back in Germany, where road conditions and temperatures in winter are not quite as tough as over here, it now is mandatory by law to put on winter tires between November and February each year. This includes all car rentals (although they charge you a little extra). Posted by: Martina | Feb 4, 08 11:22 AM

It's a no brainer that winter tires are better in winter but i think your test track was flawed because even with winter tires you shouldn't be going that fast on a snow packed road. Posted by: Wayne | Feb 4, 08 12:41 PM

Agree with many posters that your test runs were not very rigorous, and there are too many variables to make any solid conclusions in such limiting circumstances. Also, too much attention was paid to the rental business when, in fact, most Canadians drive all-seasons anyway. Another factor about rental cars is that the short-term lessees are likely to be driving a model unfamiliar to them. Poster Harvey Mc Fadden (Jan.30) cited some very interesting statistics concerning the increase in accidents/fatalities being related to vehicles' forward weight bias. It says to me that there is an underlying link with the advent of front-wheel drive, as most rear-drives have 10% or less. I would have liked to see a link to this info rather than the short video on YouTube. Also in rear-drive, the driver has some control of the rear wheels with the motor, if applied judiciously. However, what most people don't know is that motor propulsion and/or inertia can produce some strange effects with front drives. The manufacturers are now adding stability control (ESC) to compensate for drivers' ignorance or ineptness. Again, as many posters mention, this feature, plus ABS, all-wheel drive, etc., make people think they are infallible, and are inclined to drive more aggressively. And what if the blessed system malfunctions?? With luck they will hit a ditch, and nothing else. In 47 years have driven both front and rear drives. My current car is a 1988 Volvo 740 sedan. It has 120 HP, automatic gearbox, non-independent, non limited-slip rear-drive axle, 51-49 weight bias, and no ABS or ESC. With four good snow tires on separate rims, it stops and handles great. Another advantage of "winter" rims, is that I can run expensive alloy wheels in summer mode, and not risk damage caused by winter hazards. Drive carefully, by all means!! Posted by: Omar Jette | Feb 4, 08 01:00 PM

Although I agree with your conclusion regarding the comparison of winter and all-season tires, I must take issue with one part of your show. In the stopping distance test with the SUV and mini-vans, my observation was that the driver of the vehicles with the all-season tires did not apply his brakes until it had obviously failed to stop as quickly as the vehicle equipped with the winter tires. The wheels were still turning as it rolled past the winter tire equipped vehicles. If the brakes were applied, the wheels would have been locked up and skidding, or the ABS would have kicked in. They were not. The winter tire equipped SUV and van were braking before the other had begun applying its brakes. I don't believe you needed to embellish the test to affirm your conclusion in this way. Posted by: Al from Regina | Feb 4, 08 02:51 PM

Snow tires grip on snow and ice if 'studded'. Snow tires(unstudded) do not grip on ice as well as 'SUMMER' tires. Snow tires(unstudded) do not grip on dry or wet pavement as well as 'summer' or 'all-season' tires. In winter most cars in Ontario run on snow or ice only about 5% of the time.......the rest is on wet or dry pavement where speeds tend to be faster and good stopping characteristics are essential. Winter tires(unstudded) have far less stopping ability and thus for a possible advantage for 5% of the time one is risking an accident due to poor stopping characteristics 95% of the time! CONCLUSION "Studded Snow Tires are the best for Winter Driving under the mixed road conditions to be expected in Winter in Canada. Posted by: ALASTAIR JAMES BERRY | Feb 5, 08 06:23 PM

The choice of winter tires come down to where you live and work. Driving in snowy or icy conditions is more about winter driving than what tires you have. Everyone knows or should know to slow down, brake early, increase your distance and no sharp turns. That's just common sense, but some people seem to forget that and do not respect the weather conditions. Saying only that winter tires are the answer without strongly stating the above noted winter driving habits leaves people are just as vulnerable to accidents and probably more so. This brings me to the tests that were run with the all-season and winter tries in the snowy conditions. Firstly, quoting my first point about slowing down and using common sense in those conditions, the driver of the vehicle was going way too fast for those conditions. Of course you are going to skid and slide going that fast. Common sense would dictate that the speed should be considerably slower and thereby the need to swerve sharply at that speed would not be required. Secondly, why weren't all-season and winter tries tested on icy road conditions as opposed to deep snow. Of course winter tires are an advantage in deep snow for traction. In icy conditions, I doubt the winter tires would be a great advantage when you slide sideways on black ice. Slowing down would be the key. Do accidents happen in winter? Yes. Are winter tires the only thing that is going to keep you safe in the winter? No. It may be the case where people are not respecting the conditions and driving on worn, unsafe tires to begin with as oppose to good all-season tires causing more winter accidents than winter tires. Making winter tires the law I do not think are going to drop number of accidents dramatically. Posted by: Brian | Feb 6, 08 10:44 AM

It's about time someone investigated this winter safety issue. As a resident of Whistler, BC, I witness first-hand the lack of driver awareness and winter preparedness. The majority of international tourists driving to Whistler from Vancouver are shocked to learn that they can’t rent vehicles with winter tires, even though the Sea to Sky Highway is designated a “mountain” highway. As soon as the first snow begins to fall, we have unprepared drivers in the ditch, closing the highway in both directions for hours. I was surprised to learn that even commercial vehicles travelling the route are not mandated to be equipped with snow tires. The locals know better - we are all equipped with winter tires. Chains might be a good, cheap start for the rental agencies. Posted by: Paula Christian | Feb 6, 08 02:19 PM

Enjoyed the show. While it was far from comprehensive anything that helps educate the public about the value and safety of using 4 winter tires versus all seasons is good. Wow at the number of posters on here still don't accept and/or understand the benefits of having proper winter tires during our colder months. Posted by: Deane Hennigar | Feb 6, 08 02:42 PM

The trouble with tire companies has always been the generalization of all recommendations. The variety and difference in vehicles and weight ratios is very great and yet this is not recognized or addressed. What works for one vehicle can cause a fatality in another vehicle. An expert that makes a recommendation without pointing out some possible exceptions is not an credible source. When I recommend tires for a vehicle I take math and physics into consideration and point out the pro's and con's for that selection. Posted by: Harvey McFadden | Feb 7, 08 09:34 AM

I agree with 4 winter tires on a car. I live in Nova Scotia. I tried most-season-tires my first winter driving, and promptly put 4 winters on the car. There is NO comparison. Every vehicle I've owned, I've gotten a 2nd set of steel wheels and mounted winter tires on them. My current car, A Toyota Matrix, has 4 new studded winter tires on it, and it's in the body shop because of a not-my-fault accident. The other guy's insurance is paying for my rental. A Corolla with 1/2 worn most-season-tires. It's harrowing in any snow/slush. I called the woman who runs the local National Car Rental agency, wondering if she had a SUV or a car with winter tires. She said that all our cars have all-season tires, but to come over and she'll exchange it for a car with new tires. Still all seasons. I hope the law is passed for winter tires to be mandatory. Posted by: Mark Keeling | Feb 10, 08 10:36 AM

I purchased my first set of 4 snow tires in November after driving for 21 years with all season tires. I'll never drive in the winter without snow tires again. The improvement in control is great. Driving according to the weather conditions is always a must no matter what kind of tires you have, of course, but I feel better knowing that I'm doing all I can to keep myself and others safe. Sometimes a few extra feet of stopping distance means the difference between a close call and a tragedy. Surely your life is worth the $700 (or so) cost of snow tires. Posted by: Lisa Koski | Feb 11, 08 11:10 PM

Wow, people are really trying to drive up the cost of rental cars. Yes, snow tires are better in the snow but does that make all-seasons unsafe? I live in Ottawa and have all seasons on my car and sure I can't drive as fast as some other people on the road when it is snowing, but I wouldn't want to anyways. Slow down and take your time. Also, just imagine how many more tires will be going into the landfills; that can't be good. I think that to recoup the cost of the tires, storage, and manpower to change the tires, car rental companies are going to have to raise prices across the board. People are asking if a thousand dollars is worth a life. I would like to see some statistics that show even a single person has died in their rental car because they had all-seasons instead of snow tires. I just feel that sometimes people just hop on the band wagon before they make an intelligent decision. Posted by: Aaron | Feb 13, 08 02:31 PM

The bottom line is businesses are free to sell or rent what they want. It's up to the consumer whether or not to rent the car without snow tires. I personally use snow tires, and realize the benefits of them - but this episode of Marketplace was slightly absurd, stating all-season tires are useless, and that they simply cannot be used in the snow. Were that true, it would mean every vehicle with all-season's would be 100% undriveable in the snow. For decades, millions of people have been proving that statement false. And two snow tires causing a handling imbalance? Sure, on RWD. But FWD? Please. Only a race car driver driving at the limit of the vehicle would ever encounter that particular issue. I know, because I race. Posted by: Martin | Feb 13, 08 08:51 PM

My favorite winter donut is not made at Timmy's. RWD, FWD or AWD, you need to think about dedicated snows! Take the leap and invest in a second set of steel rims to save on installation and balance costs. Every car I drive has a full set of snows. My wife did get a new car recently and it will get dedicated snow tires next year. Those with FWD do not skimp on putting them just on the front. My sister's Camry was a nightmare on braking. It was a 1995 model without abs and on every stop the back end would want to come around. Listen to the experts. Not only will you benefit with a snow tire, you need them on all four wheels. I belive studded snows saved my 17 year old boy's life. But that is another story. An ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure in this case. He scrubbed off just enough speed after he hit black ice to walk away with minor bumps and bruises. The car or tree did not fare as well, but hey cars can be replaced. To Wendy and her production team, I for one am proud of you! Especially when you do quality work like this. I am sure you have saved a few lives with this story. The responsibility of educating the public on issues that matter is our highest calling. In this regard, you all have done great work. Posted by: Garth Stapon | Feb 22, 08 05:16 PM

It is easy to blame drivers for accidents: going too fast for conditions, not leaving enough stopping room, or not learning how to correct a skid. It is always the driver’s fault. But what about the car? Many tire sellers give bad advice, saying the better tires should always go on the front. In fact, the better tires should go on the light end. Many cars have very uneven weight distribution, with good tires located in the wrong place. The most unbalanced cars have four times the number of accidents that other cars do. On some cars, simply rotating tires front to rear can double the chance of a loss-of- control accident. Some cars that feel the safest with all the weight on the front have the most fatalities. What if rally and ice race drivers that endorse tires had to share the track with transport trucks and moose? Some tires and tire arrangements can limit stopping and steering in bad conditions. What if car handling tests were be done by the professionals with three kids in the car and one ice cream cone, one water pistol, and one nerf bat? A moment's distraction can be critical when driving an unstable car. Understanding, choosing, installing, and maintaining safety equipment such as tires requires drivers to attend to their equipment as they are supposed to attend to driving carefully. If you cannot brake and steer going down hill at the same time and if you are afraid to plow through a ridge of slush to avoid oncoming traffic then you need to find a tire seller that understands weight distribution and how to correct it with traction balance. Posted by: Harvey McFadden | Feb 25, 08 09:14 AM

Who can afford both summer and winter tires? Not the majority. Posted by: JonnyBlazze | Apr 5, 08 03:49 PM

Seriously they need to start mandating this as all seasons just cause very serious safety issues! Posted by: Nicholas | Apr 5, 08 03:55 PM

Here is a good part of the problem in BC....this is a direct quote from the BC Motor Vehicle Act.......This definition clearly includes all tires with the "M&S" designation. If people are going to be expected to use "Winter tires" they need a definitive way to know what constitutes a true winter tire. What are the chances someone at a tire shop is going to tell you that the flashy "M&S" tires they have for sale are no good for winter driving?? Safety equipment 208 (1) For the purpose of this section, "winter tire" means a tire that is (a) advertised or represented by its manufacturer or a person in the business of selling tires to be a tire intended principally for winter use, and that provides, or is designed to provide, adequate traction in snow or mud; and (b) in the condition respecting tread wear and other particulars the regulations prescribe. Posted by: Robert M | Apr 5, 08 04:14 PM

One may use snow tires on their own car at home, but what if you had to make a trip to a snowy icy destination - like Ontario, and had to rent a car. You are no longer safe because the rental cars do not have winter tires. The driving conditions are different from where you came from. The show today (April 5 2008) is important to all the viewers. For me, I learnt a lot on the different tires selling out there. Thank you. Posted by: Lisa | Apr 5, 08 04:32 PM

I happened to watch this show this evening. It gives the impression as an infomercial by tire industry. The fact is there are parts of country using snow tire is justified but not everywhere. Also the show does not say that snow tire reduces mileage and contributes to global warming. Posted by: Ian | Apr 5, 08 08:00 PM

I am not denying that snow tires are superior to all-season tires on ice and snow; however, I have never had snow tires and I do not believe that they are necessary. I live in Alberta and we have drastic weather changes. I believe a person should know how to drive in the winter. That is more important than having winter tires. There did not seem to be much said about winter driving techniques? If you go around to the areas of Canada that have serious winter weather, I believe you will find that a very small percentage of people have snow tires on their cars. If there is enough demand for winter tires on rental cars then eventually the product will be there and people will have to pay for it. I will not pay for winter tires on my own car much less on a rental. The choice should be there for those that want it and the government has no place mandating anything. Posted by: Shaun Hiller | Apr 6, 08 03:12 PM

I have to echo some of the sentiments posted here, regarding the bias of reporting towards what should be called 'snow tires'. I live in the Whistler region, and it was hilarious to watch you asking to rent a vehicle in Vancouver with snow tires, when there was no snow on the ground. The road to Whistler, and surrounding region, are cleared constantly when it snows, as there are more vehicles for this duty on this one highway than the rest of Greater Vancouver. It is true that if you were to need snow tires, they would indeed close the road, and you would not be permitted to drive on it, which should be comforting. Unlike the video you showed of Ontario or Quebec, Vancouver does not get hard packed snow on the roads that people drive on, as it is cleared that day or over night, or it warms up and melts. It just doesn't stay as cold as long that it is the same type of problem, so most years, I would have snow tires on for 3 weeks of the year. This year was the first in the past 10 that there was a need for snow tires in Vancouver, and most people that I know bought them. The biggest problem was not tires, as people have all pointed out, it was the drivers. You should really research the region you are going to ridicule with your reporting before you do so as it reduces the effectiveness of your report. There is no question that snow tires are safer than all-weather tires in certain temperatures, however you really missed the boat on pointing out driving habits, Toyo and Nokian tires as well as regional conditions that can make the need more compelling. Posted by: David Simmons | Apr 7, 08 03:16 AM

For your information, Budget Rent a Car in Gaspe Quebec has Winter tires on all their rental cars during the winter season. According to your segment, you seem to imply that all rental cars agencies only use all season tires. Posted by: Claude DESROSIERS | Apr 7, 08 04:06 AM

The reason most people don't add snow tires is because more and more people lease cars. The lease does not include Winter Tires. As they don't own the car they figure why waste more money. Better to take the gamble and save a few bucks. Sad but often true. I have a SUV with 4 snow tires. I don't take chances. Posted by: Lee | Jun 24, 08 12:07 AM

I have to disagree with the statement that winter tires are better, its absolutely untrue its true maybe in nunavit where roads are covered in snow all the time, but here in southern ontario or in the south where roads are maintained..its a falsity and is dangerous the reason being that snow tires have less tread on the road and therefore less traction in anything other than a "totally snow covered road." I noted on the program that the tests were all done on totally snow covered are and of course the traction would be better, but change that around to "part snow"- "part bare" roads etc and you'll find thr results are opposite reason being there is less rubber on the road on bare pavement and that increase stopping distance and there fore MORE accidents, that is MORE ACCIDENTS! better re evaluate this as a lot of false data may have been presented that will lead people astray and cause MORE accidents Posted by: whitewolf | Aug 11, 08 03:04 PM