Here in the South, with October temperatures stubbornly clinging to the 80s, it’s hard to imagine that winter will ever befall us. But, dear drivers, it surely will. Although we’re fairly lucky to avoid the worst of winter’s wrath here in Tennessee, that complacency can be dangerous. Icy roads abound, deicing supplies are quickly depleted, and the State’s road crews are easily overwhelmed. And as for our neighbors to the north, snow has already begun to fall.
More than 30,000 accidents occurred in Tennessee this January and February (TN Department of Homeland Security) and over a million weather-related accidents occurred throughout the United States over a 10-year period (US Department of Transportation).
Many drivers overlook the importance of winter tires, a mistake that could prove very, very costly. Today, most modern vehicles come equipped with all-season tires. While these tires meet the basic needs of drivers and are appropriate to many driving conditions, they’re not perfect for winter’s fiercest weather. A jack-of-all-trades is a specialist of none. For those who expect some sleet and snow this winter and whose vehicle is shod in performance, summer, or three-season tires, a set of winter tires is an absolute must.
So, with that in mind, it pays to go shopping of a fresh set of winter treads. Long gone are the days of noisy, aggressively treaded and studded tires and rattling snow chains. Now, drivers can expect increased performance and safety with a minimal trade-off.
In fact, snow tires are an entirely different beast than performance tires, director of vehicle testing at Edmund’s writes, “Snow tires utilize rubber compounds formulated to produce grip at low temperatures and feature a tread pattern that’s oriented to bite into snow. A network of razor-thin cuts called ‘sipes’ further subdivides the tread blocks into numerous gripping edges. The result is a squishier tread surface than you’ll see on other tires.”
Drivers who switch from all-season tires can enjoy peace of mind, additional driving confidence, deliberate and responsive steering, increased snow acceleration, and improved braking performance on snow and slush.
If cost is all that’s holding you back, consider purchasing high-quality and well-tested retread tires. Winter traction tires are well worth the investment and retread tires are a smart, safe, and economical choice for winter drivers.
At Tire Recappers, our winter tires are specially engineered to tackle even the iciest of mountain roads by adding acorns to the rubber as it is wrapped around an existing casing. The new tire material is set into a mold while the acorns are hardened into the rubber. Acorns are as environmentally friendly as they are effective.
Don’t be surprised by the snow! Check out Tire Recapper’s line of winter retread tires and enjoy free shipping.