Survey pegs Ontario winter tire usage at 29% (January 01, 2006)

Although drivers in Canada are more frequently switching to the use of winter tires during the snowy months, only 29% of Ontario drivers make use of winter tires, according to a recent study by the Canadian Press and Leger Marketing.

The results of the study, released by the Transport Canada and the Rubber Association of Canada (TCRAC), show that Qubec has the highest usage of winter tires, at 84%. Eastern Canada came in second in the survey, at 57%.

After Ontario, the survey found that only 28% of B.C. drivers use winter tires, followed by Alberta (at 22%). Only 10% of survey respondents in the Prairies provinces reported snow tire usage.

“While still only 42% of Canadians use winter tires, the trend is unmistakable – more and more people are switching to winter tires,” the TCRAC commented about the survey.

“Why you ask? For an analogy, think street hockey: Ask any goaltender the difference between stopping a blistering slap shot of a rubber ball with his thigh in the middle of summer, and stopping that same ball in mid-February.

“Rubber, whether a ball or a tire, tends to harden in cold weather. These new generation winter tires maintain their elasticity and gripping power at -35C and below, whereas traditional all-season tires tend to stiffen and lose gripping power at around 0C.

“This improved gripping power at lower operating temperatures has tangible benefits.”

A recent Transports Qubec and Promutuel study showed that winter tires increase a car’s stopping distance by up to 25% — or between two to three car-lengths. “That could well be the difference between worry-free stopping, or a fender-bender – or worse,” the TCRAC said in a release. “And when you consider that even a fender bender may cost you your insurance deductible, it’s easy to see why more and more consumers are switching to winter tires.”