Temperature drop a reminder that tire change season is here

With snow in the forecast and more bound to come in the weeks ahead, many are thinking about getting winter tires on their vehicles.

Roughly 68 per cent of Canadians make the twice-annual tire switch, with Québec remaining the only province to make snow tires mandatory from December 1 to March 15.

“When the temperature starts to hover around 7 degrees Celsius — that's the ideal time to switch over to winter tires,” said Glenn Maidment, president of the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, adding that winter tires have a special compound in the rubber that “keeps it soft and pliable right through to minus-40 Celsius.”

He said having that kind of tread rubber will result in a safer all-around driving experience.

Maidment added, the upfront cost of having two sets of tires shouldn't scare someone away.

“If you can get the very safest winter driving experience by running winter tires, and if that cost over the lifespan of those tires is going to be in the order of $5 a month, I think it's a no-brainer.”