To cope with snowy roads and low temperatures in the car, being well equipped is not an option. But to drive safely when winter comes, what should you choose between snow tires and all-season tires? Is it better to keep the same tires all year round and make some compromises on grip, or change them once a year to benefit from better driving conditions? Are there alternatives to winter tires and all-season tires? Explanations.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINTER TIRES AND ALL-SEASON TIRES
In a few words, 4-season tires are a compromise between summer tires and winter tires.
Winter tires have deep transverse grooves to easily drain water and reduce the risk of aquaplaning. They also have sipes and notches that allow the vehicle to grip on snowy or icy roads.
Their rubber is different from that of summer tires: it is designed to prevent the tires from hardening and losing grip when temperatures drop.
4-season tires also adopt these characteristics, in lower concentrations and jointly with those of summer tires. They indeed have some transverse grooves, but also longitudinal grooves, like summer tires. Their rubber is half-soft, half-rigid, and their notches are less deep than those of winter tires but deeper than those of summer tires.
Certainly, 4-season tires have the considerable advantage of being able to be used throughout the year, whereas winter tires require time and expense to be fitted and dismantled from the vehicle. But to cope with the harsh climatic conditions of the coldest regions, they may prove insufficient.
Motorists are therefore faced with a dilemma: opt for winter tires, double their tire budget and have to go to the garage every year or opt for 4-season tires and take the risk of not being sufficiently protected during snow episodes. and ice?
AN ALTERNATIVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE?
Those who have already considered the question have undoubtedly considered equipping themselves with snow socks. These non-slip covers slip over the tires to give them better grip on snow and ice. More economical and less restrictive than winter tires, they however suffer from a major disadvantage: their fragility. Snow socks are very resistant to driving on dry asphalt as well as intensive acceleration and braking. In addition to being easily damaged, their performance on snowy or icy surfaces and steep slopes is limited.
So is there anti-slip equipment that is reliable, practical, regulatory and minimally restrictive? The answer is yes !
The Musher premium anti-slip over-tire takes the form of a non-slip cover which wraps your tires to guarantee them optimal road holding in the winter season. They can be assembled and disassembled in just 5 minutes, and unlike traditional snow socks, they allow you to ride on dry asphalt over a distance of 150 km. You will therefore not need to stop on the shoulder to remove them between each snowy passage. It adapts to all types of tires, even non-chainable, and meets the requirements of the Mountain Law and the B26 panel, applied to mountainous areas of France.
More practical and economical than winter tires, safer than 4-season tires, more comfortable than snow chains, more durable and efficient than snow socks: this is the promise of the Musher premium anti-slip over-tire.