It’s no surprise to any Canadian: in winter, snow and ice can make driving immensely more difficult! As everyone knows, choosing an effective tire can reduce skidding while turning or loss of traction. We recently published our top 3 winter tires for 2021 on our blog. For even better handling, we sometimes hear about studded tires, but is this really the right choice for everyone?
More stable, but at what price?
It is true that studs can greatly help stability. In particularly snowy or icy conditions, the addition of studs offers greatly improved traction. This is true, for example, on rural roads that are rarely plowed. They are also useful on slopes, where they can help keep the vehicle in place in difficult weather conditions.
The problem is that they quickly lose their advantages when they arrive on clear pavement. On dry or even wet pavement, braking distance is actually increased and they produce a noise that can quickly become unpleasant. Their cost can also be surprising, as studded tires can be up to 20% more expensive than a standard tire. Another surprise: they can even make your vehicle more fuel efficient!
So, who are studded tires for?
So, does all this make studded tires useless? Far from it! Rather, it’s about knowing when to use them! They are especially useful in villages, countryside and small towns. Their small streets, less traveled and less often plowed, will allow your vehicle to benefit more often from the advantages of studded tires.
As you can see, the opposite is true in the city. There, boulevards are less often covered with a thick layer of ice and snow. Also, since they can be a cause of road damage, they are often prohibited in parking lots in urban areas. And beware, their use is restricted from October 15th to May 1st!
If you decide to buy studded tires, one thing is for sure, get a studded model from a retailer like Blackcircles.ca! It’s true that some tires can be studded at your local dealer for a lower price, but they can be noisier and less durable while offering similar or less traction.
Personally, I would recommend the Pirelli Winter Ice Zero, but the General Altimax Arctic 12 will do just fine for tighter budgets. To learn more, check out our full guide here!
