If you live or drive in a region that frequently sees ice, snow, slush, or temperatures regularly below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, In Control recommends that you invest in a set of winter tires. 

You may think, “I have All-Season Tires that will work well enough,” but by design, All-Season Tires are a compromise, intended to provide acceptable performance under a wide variety of conditions. That compromised goal prevents them from being a master of any one of them.

Winter tires, on the other hand, use specialized rubber compounds, unique tread designs, and biting edges engineered to maximize traction in freezing temperatures and on snowy and icy surfaces. Increased traction means you can stop in shorter distances and have greater control when steering.

It's also important to note that the recent advancements in electronic driver aids, such as ABS, traction control, and stability control don't provide more traction. They only help prevent drivers from over braking or overpowering the available traction of their tires. The only thing the driver can do to increase traction—to actually get more grip and control—is install better tires.

Winter tires come in all different shapes and sizes to fit just about any vehicle on the road. There are passenger-car winter tires, high-performance winter tires, SUV winter tires, and even truck winter tires. For safety, only fit winter tires in sets of four. We find it convenient to have winter tires mounted on a separate set of steel or alloy wheels, so they're always ready to bolt-on. That way, you don't have to get them swapped at a tire shop every fall and spring.

In the long run, winter tires end up being an upfront investment. Since you only wear away one set of tires on your car at a time, the amount of money you spend on tires over the life of your vehicle often doesn’t increase, but you will be significantly safer and have more control in winter conditions.