Do you live in a part of the country that sees snow on the ground during the winter? If so, you may be wondering if you should use all-season or snow tires for your vehicle. Here is what you need to know in order to make an informed decision about the tires that go on your vehicle. 

All Season Tires Come Up Short In The Winter

The name all-season tires can be kind of misleading since the name makes you assume that they are going to be fine all year round. However, all year tires are best for spring, summer, and fall. While they can be a great option for those that only want to have one tire on their car all year round, it is not going to give their vehicle the best possible performance in the wintertime.

Winter Tires Have Deeper Treads

The biggest advantage that winter tires have for driving through the snow is the deeper tread. These treads allow the tire to grip on to the snow rather than slide over it. You'll find that your vehicle has much better performance accelerating and braking on slippery road conditions, which makes it much easier to control your vehicle in the snow. 

Winter Tires Have Larger Side Walls

When you look at winter tires, you'll notice that the sidewalls of the tires are going to be thicker than all-season tires. This is going to help your vehicle absorb the shock from the road as the asphalt gets harder and more potholes form. This will give your winter tires a bit more flex and a smoother ride as a result, when all-season tires are not going to perform the same way.

Winter Tires Must Be Swapped Out In The Spring

If you think that you can simply keep your winter tires on your vehicle all year round, know that you are going to be doing more harm than good. Winter tires are known to wear out much faster when driving on normal road conditions. This will cause the winter tires to wear out much sooner than if you put an all-season tire on your car for the other three seasons. 

Think you want to have winter tires put on your vehicle this year? Reach out to a local tire dealer in your area for more information. They'll handle the installation of your new winter tires and even bag up your current tires so they can be put back on in the spring.