A recent survey conducted by Goodyear indicates that most Canadian drivers are underprepared for the winter. Now, the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC) and Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) have published reports confirming the essence of using winter tyres.
The RAC’s report highlights the fall of the percentage of accidents by 5% during winter since the government of Quebec mandated in 2008 the use of winter tyres.
TIRF alleges that most Canadian drivers have misunderstood the importance of using winter tyres: that these tyres are more effective when the temperature is below 7 degrees Celsius , unlike all-season tyres and they also shorten braking distance by 30% regardless if the road is icy, dry or snow-covered.
In Canada, about 52% drivers are using winter tyres. Others believe that winter tyres are only useful in those regions that experience snow most of the time. (RJA)