Each winter, almost half of Canadian drivers will be driving on all-season tires that freeze in the cold, slide on slush, and can take 30 meters longer to stop on smooth ice, putting them at much greater risk of car accidents. Tire dealer, Kal Tire, encourages drivers to avoid all-season (three-season) tires and consider all-weather tires, ‘the winter tire you can drive all year long.’

“We don’t think drivers realize how dangerous all-seasons are in the winter, or that they have a much safer year-round tire option,” says Carey Hull, director of retail products, Kal Tire. All-weather tires, sometimes confused for all-season tires, are designated winter tires that give drivers safe traction in the winter as well as superior handling in the summer. “What we’re saying is, if you’re going to have only one set of tires on your vehicle through the year, make it an all-weather tire.”

Kal Tire has enlisted the help of Bill Gardiner, contributor to Motoring TV since the start of the show, and often referred to as ‘The Doctor of Cars’ to educate drivers across Canada about the dangers of driving all-season tires in the winter.

For many years Bill has travelled the country educating Canadian motorists on the importance of car safety, and, as a licensed mechanic, every winter his customers count on him to make the right tire selection for their vehicle.  “As Canadians, there are so many things that are beyond our control in the winter,” says Gardiner. “But how we prepare our vehicles for winter is 100 per cent within our control.”

Critical auto injuries due to accidents and collisions, when they occur, can often result in grave injury, permanent disabilities or death for drivers and their passengers, bystanders, motorcyclists, and cyclists. That is why it’s so important to maintain the safety of your vehicle and use tires that are designed and tested for Canadian winters. If you or a family member is involved in a serious automobile accident this winter, contact car accident lawyers for a free consultation.

Source: Think Your All-Season Tires are Safe for Winter? Think Again

Today marks the first official day of Spring. Warmer temperatures and melting snow mean it’s time to tweak our driving habits and our vehicles and hope that winter weather is gone for good.

Here are 5 tips for safe spring driving from wheels.ca:

1. Don’t be too eager to take off your winter tires. They should be left on until the ambient temperatures stay above 7 degrees Celsius.
2. We still can get some snowfall, which means the warm spring sun can melt ice and snow near the road. This melt water can freeze when the sun stops shining on it and the temperatures drop below zero. If you notice wet-looking roads and the temperatures have dropped below freezing, expect ice and slow down.
3. As the weather warms it will bring out motorcyclists and cyclists. Every motorist has to practise good vision techniques and stay focused on their driving to spot these smaller road users. Looking out for and respecting these two-wheeled travellers is an important part of safe motoring.
4. On the other side of the safety equation, cyclists and bikers need to ride wisely and be visible to motorists and truckers. Cyclists should wear brightly coloured clothing or safety vests, use lights, keep right and ride in single file. The laws of physics are not on the side of the smaller vehicle in a collision.
5. Warmer weather brings more children outside. Slow down and pay very careful attention in residential and school zones. School kids are easily distracted by play and don’t always notice traffic. Be alert for teenagers who tend to be fixated on their texting, socializing and cellphones and, as a result, won’t be paying much attention to traffic.

Click here for 5 more tips.

Regardless of the season, if you or someone you know suffers an auto related injury, speak to a Car Accident Lawyer with a proven track-record of recovering monies for car accident victims.