For most of the winter - all weather tires with good tread (as in long before their stated expiry kms) on a front wheel drive will do just fine in Calgary and local highways. The exception is in really cold temps when you can feel the rubber is not as grippy. And then in those cold temps you need to drive much slower than normal, and much slower than you would with winter tires. Part of the problem these days is people treat the speed limit as the mandatory speed when driving.
I drive all weathers, but i replace them every two to three years regardless of the tread wear. This also helps with the icy grip - as tire rubber loses its flex over the years - so even if your tread is fine - tires older than 3 years are not as good as new ones in marginal road conditions.
|