THUNDER BAY, ON (NEWS) – Fountain Tire, one of Canada’s leading tire and automotive service providers wants to ensure that every Canadian is educated about the benefits of winter tires to take on the predicted harsh winter. In an effort to do so, the Fountain Tire team is pleased to share key safety information and findings regarding the use of winter tires from the Thunder Bay Police, The Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals (CARSP) and The Canadian Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF).
“We understand that it is easy to be confused about the differences between winter tires, all-weather tires and all-season tires,” says Darcy Hunter, Fountain Tire. “The team at Fountain Tire believes in having the right tire for your location and terrain so that drivers can have peace of mind navigating through blizzards, black ice and whatever conditions stand between them and their destination this winter. With typical winter weather conditions bringing plenty of snow and ice to roads in and around Thunder Bay, winter tires are a must for personal safety.”
According to a report by TIRF, newer generations of winter tires make use of a flexible rubber compound that is less prone to stiffen in cold temperatures and have treads designed to improve traction on any road surface, whether it be wet, slushy, snowy, icy or dry and cold. In fact, winter tires have better overall traction at -40 degrees Celsius than all-season tires do at +4 degrees Celsius – an important function for consumers to note when making decisions about how to equip their vehicles for winter driving.
The same study found that alternating the use of winter and summer tires instead of using all-season tires year-round can offer long-term cost-saving benefits for drivers. Winter tires have been proven to both increase the likelihood of avoiding costly collisions and improve fuel economy, with a resulted reduction of 5 per cent in fuel consumption over the course of a year due to better traction. One element of the study also found that the universal use of winter tires resulted in a 5 per cent decrease in accident victims and 574 fewer road accident injuries per year, proving once again that while winter tires can be cost-savers, they are also key to personal safety as well.
Fountain Tire is committed to providing Canadians with the safest tires for winter driving. In an effort to encourage Canadians to learn about the benefits of winter tires and choose the safest option available, Fountain Tire is offering discounts on sets of four winter tires, through until December 10, 2016.
“Thunder Bay Police Service would like to remind motorists that winter is fast approaching and so are the adverse road conditions that are associated with it,” says Sgt. John Toneguzzi, Thunder Bay Police. “Please allow more time to get to your destination and keep in mind that you should be giving yourself enough stopping room between you and the vehicle in front of you. During inclement weather conditions you should reduce your speed accordingly and drive defensively.”
“The Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals wants to remind Canadians that tires play a crucial role in the vehicle’s overall safety,” says Jennifer Kroeker-Hall, President of CARSP. “We strongly recommend the use of winter tires rather than all season tires, and that they be used on all four wheels, since all wheels interact with the ice and snow.”
Fountain Tire recently gave consumers the chance to try the three different tire types and created a video of the experience to help educate Canadians.
