From December 15 to March 15, ALL tires mounted on a TAXI or PASSENGER VEHICLE must be specifically designed for winter driving.

Offenders will be required to pay a fine ranging from $200 to $300. No demerit points will be deducted for such an offence, however.

Studded tires are not covered by the Regulation Governing the Use of Tires Specifically Designed for Winter Driving, and they are still permitted from October 15 to May 1.

Tires approved under the Regulation

The Regulation introduced by the government followed the Transport Minister’s consultations with several groups, including the Association des marchands de pneus du Québec, representatives of the Ministry of Transport itself, CAA-Quebec, certain tire merchants associations, etc. These specialists made recommendations, most of which were adopted by the government.

The snowflake icon is used as a reference for enforcement of the Act because it supposedly denotes that the adherence of the tire bearing that icon is 110% superior to that of a benchmark all-season tire. However, that standard, established by Transport Canada in 1999, should be modified in the near future to ensure the safety of Canadians on our roads, because it is obsolete. Upgrading the standard will surely eliminate several tires on which manufacturers have affixed the symbol without their adherence having been proved. By 2009, these standards will be re-evaluated by the Standards Council of Canada with a view to rendering use of the logo consistent.

Since the goal of the Regulation is to improve road safety, it goes without saying that tires that do not meet these criteria should not be used for winter driving. When the temperature drops below 7°C, all-season tires start to lose their elasticity, which results in poorer traction, handling and braking capacity. Winter tires, on the other hand, retain their elasticity at temperatures far below 7°C. Lastly, it must not be forgotten that modern vehicles are equipped with safety features (ABS, electronic stability control, traction control, and so forth), which work properly only if the vehicle is equipped with tires providing the proper adherence.

Section 7 of the Regulation defines which tires will be acceptable as tires specifically designed for winter driving:

Getting The Right Tires
You should purchase 4 exact matching snow tires for your vehicle. There is a long-standing myth which states that vehicles only need snow tires places on the 2 drive wheels, but this is simply not true. You will be much safer by wrapping all 4 wheels. Always make sure to check the vehicle’s owner manual beforehand to make sure that the snow tires you install truly are a perfect fit.

Installing Your Snow Tires
Always park your vehicles in a safe location on flat ground to keep it from rolling. For added safety, please a brick or another heavy object in front and behind the vehicle’s tires to keep it from moving even the slightest amount. After securing the vehicle, grab your car’s lug wrench. Remove the hubcaps before you jack the vehicle up and then turn the lug wrench in counter-clockwise motions to loosen the lug nuts. This will prevent the tires from spinning.

Always be sure to follow the owner’s manual instructions when using your jack, especially if you have never changed a tire before. Once you are comfortable with using the jack, place it in the right location underneath the vehicle. After jacking the car up, remove the tires and mount the snow tires. Make sure that it is aligned with the threaded shafts to ensure a safe and secure connection. Secure the lug nuts and lower the vehicle back to the ground. Replace the hubcap and then follow all of the same steps for the other tires being replaced.

After Installing Your Snow Tires
Make sure that your tires are inflated to the correct air pressure. Use a tire pressure gauge to make sure that this is done. Having the tires inflated to the wrong pressure will cause problems with the tire’s gripping action, compromising your safety while driving. Lastly, verify that the valve caps have been replaced. Failure to comply might cause freezing in the valve and air could escape. You should also consider taking your vehicle to a local garage to have the tires correctly balanced and the car aligned.

Points to Consider

• Siping. If you drive on wet or icy roads, you will want winter tires that are siped. This process, where small slits are made in the tire’s tread blocks, adds flexibility to the tire’s surface. A siped tire is more slip-resistant than an identical tire without siping. Siping also allows the tire to push water away from the tread and grip the surface below. Siped tires last longer than ones with no siping because the siping helps dissipate heat.

• Studded tires. If you drive on ice, you may want to have your winter tires studded. Metal studs are inserted into the tire’s tread blocks. The studs push into the surface of ice as you drive, increasing traction. The drawback to driving on studded tires is that you will need to remove your tires once the cold season has ended. Studs damage hot asphalt, and many regions have laws regarding the months in which winter tires with studs can be used.

• Tread design. Tire manufacturers have developed several tread designs, each performing differently. An aggressive tread that also has grooves to allow grip when the road is wet will give good traction, but it also will howl when you drive at normal highway speeds, especially on dry roads. Treads with a V-shape design expel snow and ice to prevent buildup and help the tire maintain its road traction. A zigzag design works well in slush. The incorporation of open blocks gives better grip in turns.

• Tire construction. In the past, you could choose from more than one type of construction. Sawdust tires, a winter tire that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s, incorporated sawdust into the rubber. These tires provided excellent traction but were not durable. Bias-ply rubber tires also were available. Drivers often carried a set of tire chains that they could put on when roads were really slick. However, when steel-belted radial tires entered the market, all other types fell behind.

Steel-belted radial tires are durable, and they grip the road. The distinguishing feature of steel-belted radial winter tires over summer tires is that they are composed of materials that allow them to remain flexible at cold temperatures. Most modern-day summer tires start to harden at about 10 degrees Celsius, which is 50 degrees Fahrenheit, a fairly warm day in some regions. All-season tires usually stay flexible until the temperature drops to -8 degrees Celsius, or approximately 17 degrees Fahrenheit. They fully lose their elasticity at -15 degrees Celsius, which is 5 degrees above zero Fahrenheit. Winter tires, on the other hand, continue to perform well at temperatures up to -40 degrees Celsius, which also is -40 degrees Fahrenheit.


How to Get the Most From Your Investment

Always buy four winter tires at one time. For optimum performance, all four tires must be identical in all aspects, including wear.

Never use tires of unequal diameter on opposite sides of your vehicle, because this can cause vehicle breakdown. A worn tire on one side and a new tire on the other puts stresses on the U-joints, axles, front or rear end and driveline. It also will cause vibration and decrease traction.

To get the most value for your winter tire investment, consider purchasing a second set of rims. This allows you to use your winter tires when road conditions are bad and your summer tires during the rest of the year without having to pay for mounting the tires on rims every time you want to change them. Look for rims that will shed mud or snow instead of allowing it to build up. Accumulations of mud or snow on the rims will unbalance the tires and cause your vehicle to vibrate.

Resist the urge to show others how well your tires perform by hot-rodding through slush and snow or executing sharp turns on ice. Every time you apply unnecessary torque to spin the tires, the friction between tire and driving surface creates heat, burning off part of the tire’s tread and shortening the life of the tire.

Rotate your tires regularly so that the wear is even. Check for tread depth. To be effective in snow, the tread depth must measure at least 4.8 mm, or 3/16-inch.

Store your winter tires in the off-season in a cool, dry location away from the sun. Lay them flat, one on top of the other, with the stack being no more than four tires high. Consider purchasing storage bags, which you can get from your tire dealer. The bags protect the tires from natural ozone, which can dry out the rubber and cause it to crack. Keep all tires away from welders or electric motors, because these produce ozone.

Buying Used Tires, step by step
It is important to keep in mind a few steps that will help you go a long way when buying used tires. You should always choose the absolute best used tires, whether you are using an online source or shopping in person. You should also be aware of the exact size of the tires you need. This information can usually be found on the driver’s side front door of the vehicle. If there is not a plate there stating the measurements, check the owner’s manual. While manufacturers recommend to only use a specific tire size for your car, it might be possible to use a slightly different size as long as you replace all of them. It is for this reason that you should always choose the correct size if only changing one tire out.

Used Tires, what to look for
In addition to the aforementioned information, you should always make sure to check the condition of the used tires that you plan on purchasing. Check for uneven amounts of wear by using your fingers to feel around for any imperfections which might be present. This only works if you are buying in person. If shopping online, ask for close-up, details photos. If you notice any imperfections, including rises and dips in tread, you should avoid purchasing the tire as it has become unevenly worn and is unsafe for use. It is also important to check for any previous repairs which might have been performed on the used tire. Examine the entire inside of the used tire for any plugs or patched spots which might be present. If you see anything out of the ordinary which might signify a repair, it is recommended to avoid purchasing it. One or two minor repairs may be acceptable, but never purchase a tire that has gone through numerous fixes.

Buy Early

Buying tires during the summer can help cut down on cost. Many retailers run sales al summer where you can pick up a set for less than retail, and many will sell their excess inventory at the end of the winter to try and make space for the summer tires. You may also be able to find a store to sell you one or two tires which they have left over. This sometimes means they’ll give you a deal because they have an incomplete set left over.

Consider Buying Used

Used tires are significantly cheaper than new tires. If you’re careful you can get an excellent deal, just make sure they are safe. Used tires will not last as long as new tires, but often the discount is so deep it more than makes up for the need to replace them fairly often. Make sure the tires all have adequate tread. Winter tires with little or no tread will be even worse than summer tires in the snow and ice.

Get a Dealer to Pay

If you’re buying a new or used car then you may be able to convince the dealer to throw in a set of winter tires as part of the deal. Even if the dealer throws them in at cost, you will still end up saving a significant amount off the retail price of a high-quality set of tires.

Size Down

Sometimes buying smaller tires will help with the cost. In the winter, bigger tires are not always better. Thinner tires will cut through the snow better to maximize traction. Smaller tires are usually cheaper. Also, if your car has an unusual tire size, you may also be able to find tires in a more common size which will fit and save you some money. Check with a repair shop as to which tire sizes will fit your wheels and vehicle.

Buy a Second Set Of Wheels

Having a second set of wheels means you can leave the winter tires on them all summer, and switch between your summer and winter tires very easily. While it may seem counter intuitive to buy something expensive to save money, there is a significant cost to mounting, balancing and installing the winter tires and to doing the reverse in the spring. A cheap set of wheels will pay for itself in reduced mounting and balancing costs very quickly, sometimes within a couple of years.

Shop Around

Shopping around is the best way to save those last few dollars. If you can find a great deal at one retailer then see if you can find another retailer who will match or beat it. Some shops will help by throwing in the installation for free if you would like to have them installed when you purchase them.

Buying quality tires online, such as Hankook brand tires, is one way that you can find excellent tires at a great price. Hankook Tire Company started offering tires in Korea in 1941 and has since grown to be the seventh largest tire company in the world. It is a world renowned leader in the production of bias-ply and radial tires throughout Asia and the nations of the Pacific Rim. In recent years, Hankook has grown its business in Canada and North America by leaps and bounds and has become a leading tire brand that is known for its top-of-the-line quality at a very reasonable price. Today Hankook has a corporate division headquarters in Brampton, Ontario, and has become one of the largest networks of tire distributors in Canada.

One Hankook approved distributor that offers their tires online is Tires and Company. Tires and Company offers Hankook’s entire line of tires at very reasonable prices. An example of this is that Tires and Company has the Hankook Winter I-Pike RW11 Tire with prices starting at $198.45 and with delivery of the tire made in 24 to 72 hours. A great all-season tire carried by Tires and Company is the Hankook Optimo H426 4-Groove tire. It provides excellent traction on any road surface and has the construction to do well in good weather or in snow. With prices starting at $132.32 and delivery available in 24 to 72 hours, this Hankook tire is a great value. An excellently performing summer tire that Tires and Company carries is the Hankook Optimo H418. This tire provides excellent traction in temperate weather and is a great value starting at $114.07. As can be seen from the selections offered by Tires and Company, they strive to be one of the best online dealers of tires available in Canada. Visit their website at www.tiresandco.ca to find the best tire for your car.

Another Hankook approved online tire distributor is Online Tires. Online Tires stocks all of Hankook’s tires ranging from the Dynapro All-Season RH03 Owl to the Ventus V4 ES H105 ultra high performance all-season tire. The Dynapro All-Season RH03 features four traction grooves and a solid block tread pattern to provide the very best ride possible. The tire is designed to provide excellent noise comfort, year-round traction, and a long lifetime of wear for the tread. This tire is very reasonably priced starting at $125.64 a piece. The Ventus V4 ES H105 is designed to provide superior wet and dry handling to any car. It has technological advances built throughout the tires construction and tread pattern to be one of the best designed ultra high performance tires seen on Canadian roads today. Whether driving in summer conditions or the snows of winter, this tire will provide superb handling in all weather conditions. With prices starting at $93.21 per tire, it is an awesome value when compared to all of the features this tire offers. To view the entire selection of tires available from Online Tires, visit their website at www.onlinetires.com.

Regardless of which online tire dealer you choose to purchase your Hankook tires through, you will find Hankook tires to be one of the best performing tires you have ever had on a car. Their solid construction, excellent traction, and top-notch performance guarantee that your car will be riding in style on a set of Hankook tires. Prior to purchasing any tires, it is strongly recommended that you consult with your mechanic as to what are the best type of tires for your vehicle. By trusting the recommendations of your mechanic, you will be guaranteed to find the Hankook tires that will be the best tires for your car. Then your car will be well equipped for any driving conditions you may encounter.

First, finding a good tire for the given vehicle is paramount to being satisfied in the long-haul, since road trips are usually inevitable and those tires need to last. The very basic way to find the most suitable Pirelli tire for one’s car would be to check out a nearby tire shop first, get an assessment and see what a professional’s opinion is, and then jot down the model he or she is offering. This method is usually the most helpful as far as purchasing an affordable set of Pirellis online is concerned. Leave it to the professionals to figure out what tire is going to be best for the driver’s geographical area of living and that area’s typical weather conditions.

Once that knowledge is obtained, the novice car guy or girl will have no problem going online and finding that same model of tire that he or she was referred to. Then the trick is figuring out what site is going to be best to purchase from. Many sites online are fraudulent, and so using the search browser to verify the site’s legitimacy is important. And, even once a site is known as all right to purchase from, the last thing any online customer wants when trying to save a buck is to feel taken advantage of. This is why, just as when shopping for something relatively expensive in stores and off of the internet, one must shop around and compare prices at a few or more different online sites. Making sure that a given company has not dramatically spiked the price of the desired Pirelli is a vital step in this buying process. The price online should be near the price offered in stores, and generally, Pirellis range from $200 to $600+, with the less expensive being most suitable for typical, not high-performance, driving. A good summer and all-weather Pirelli tire is usually between $200 and $300, and for the Canadian who is in a predominately snowy area, a good Pirelli snow tire for ranges from $80 to $200.

Lastly, when it comes to ordering anything online, a shipping cost will usually be in effect. If the cost is waived and a company offers free shipping, then that’s a huge convenience, but usually for big, heavy orders such as an order of tires, a shipping cost should correspond to the load’s weight. Online, numerous shipping cost calculators can be found, and this can help figure out if the cost is reasonable. Fortunately, though, this isn’t something to be too concerned about once the legitimacy of the given tire seller is confirmed. A true company will charge correct shipping fees.

So, given that purchasing a set of Pirellis online is not necessarily difficult, it is certainly something where the proper amount of caution should be taken into consideration to insure the best possible shopping experience.

Bridgestone Tires are one of the most popular tire suppliers in the world. Bridgestone Tires is a Japanese company. Their United States base of operations is located in Tennessee. The Bridgestone Blizzacks Tires are a highly respected snow tire. Several positive reviews and testimonials have been received about these specific snow tires. Bridgestone also manufacturers motorcycle tires. This company also owns, makes and sells the Fuzion and Firestone line of tires.

Although Firestone Tires were bought out by Bridgestone Tires, they are still extremely recognizable. Founded in 1900, their tires are quite popular even after the company was acquired in 1988. For the most part, their Firestone truck tires are nicely considered.

Goodyear Tires is also very popular. The company has claimed that they are the largest tire maker in the US and come in at number two in Europe. And with sixty plants it twenty five countries so it is easy to see why they would believe that. The company’s most popular models are the Eagle F1 all season tire and the Goodyear Wrangler RT S.

An American based tire company is Cooper Tires. They operate out of Ohio and, although they don’t make as much money as the larger companies, they have loyal customers who hold their sturdy snow tires in high esteem.

Kumho Tires was founded in 1960 in Korea. They are one of the top ten tire manufacturers in the world. They offer resilient, well priced tires.

Pirelli Tires is an Italian tire company. A national tire plant is located in Georgia. These types of tires are used with luxury vehicles and sport cars. Although Pirelli isn’t well known in the United States, they are more popular in North America. Pirelli doesn’t just sell tires though. They also specialize in broadband solutions, real estate and more.

The Toyo Tire and Rubber Company were founded in Japan in 1945. They have been exporting tires to the United States since 1966, with a tire plant in California. They offer a line of replacement tires for vehicles such as an SUV, light trucks, cars and even commercial vehicles.

ichelin Tires are another highly popular brand. They are based in France and own Michelin Uniroyal, which is based in the United States. It was originally founded in 1892 in Naugatuck, Connecticut and was called The United States Rubber Company.
Many of these tire brands can be bought online.

Buying tires online is safe and easy. They are also sold at a discount. When buying tires online, you are going to want to make sure the tires you are buying are in good condition. Make sure they are compatible with your car by reading through the owner’s manual. Be careful not to buy used tires, no matter how cheap they are. This is not safe and who knows what those tires have been through.

If you are thinking of buying Yokohama tires online in Canada, there are some reliable and trust worthy places to buy them from. One such place is Yokohama eCommerce sites, this online stores are well known for stocking all major brands and sells their tires for discounted prices. They are also known to extend original manufacturer warranty on all their tires. They also have a wide network of installers all over Canada, to whom they can ship your tire directly so that you can get your new tire mounted on your vehicle easily in your locality.

At these Yokohama tire websites, you can get a Light Truck all seasons tire 235/65R17 Load Index: 108H for a discounted price of $186.95. An all season passenger car tire model 205/50R17 Load Index: 88V can be bought for $ 241.95.

Another place for buying Yokohama Tires online is tires-easy.ca. You can buy your tires from them at no risk – this is an online store certified with the Safe-shopping Network and Shop-safe labels. They also offer you a 15 days return policy. They have a quick and convenient online service which is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They promise to deliver within 3-6 working days. They have a wide network of installers across the country – more than 300 in fact. All major payment methods are accepted and you can pay safely online.

Buying tires online used to be considered strange till some years back. Part of the reason for this was that people feared that this method cannot be reliable as far as quality and suitability was concerned. But today, all that has changed. Technological advances in information technology have ensured that every tiny detail can be searched for on the internet. Now, you simply need to type in your tire specifications on the given search fields of any online tire shop and you can see the price, availability and shipping terms of the tire in no time.

Another advantage of buying tires online is that the online retailer tends to buy huge volumes of tires on discounted prices, the benefit of which they are able to pass on to their customers. They also offer original manufacturer warranty on their products which makes it safe to buy from them. Most of them will help you locate an “installer” – someone in your area who will help you fit the tires on to your vehicle – and some even have arrangements whereby they ship the tire directly to the installer.

You will need to check out different online retailers in order to compare prices and arrive at the best deal possible.

Michelin has long recognized this problem and sought to ensure that its customers can get a better, safer deal. Like most tire companies, they now permit the sale of their tires through a large number of online venues, helping to increase the quality and quantity of tires available to their customers, as well as permit (indeed, encourage) competition among their many vendors. While Michelin does not currently sell tires directly to customers, they have a large number of internet-based shippers and distributors who can send tires directly to a mechanic, tire specialist, or in some cases even a home or private business. This not only allows Michelin’s customers to get the tires that they want when they want, it helps them to “buy forward,” which can lead to significant savings.

Most customers simply buy new tires when the old ones wear out, and as such they are left to the whims of the market when it comes to price and availability. If they depend only on what tires are available when they absolutely need them the most, they will invariably be unable to purchase the best tires at the best price, because they will need to take the tires that are the most available to get them back on the road. Michelin knows this, and they know that their tires aren’t available everywhere. This is why they encourage purchasing tires before they are needed and then storing them until they are. This allows customers plenty of time to hunt around for the best price on the tires which are recommended for their vehicle, then keep the tires until they are needed. Tires don’t wear very quickly when not used, and will remain like-new for decades.

Therefore, loal Michelin customers, or those who know Michelin tires are best for their specific vehicle, should use online retailers to hunt down the best prices and buy in advance. This will allow them to buy tires before they are needed, and thus hunt down the best prices or wait until specials are available. It will also allow customers to buy in sets of two or four, which generally results in a discount when compared to buying tires singly.