Snow tires worth the investment, say experts

With snow finally hitting the Windsor region this weekend, mechanics and insurance brokers are saying more people should install snow tires.

"Because we have such soft winters lately, people don't think that snow tires are going to be that important for the amount of snow we get," says Marc Marier of Marcel's Collision in Windsor. 

Snow isn't the only reason to swap out those tires though. Devin King, also from Marcel's Collision, points out that the tire's material itself is different for the winter wheels.

"The cold weather is going to make the roads slippery, and your rubber on a regular tire is harder than a snow tire. Snow tires stay soft in cold weather so they're grippy," says King.

It's not just mechanics who want to see you swap those tires. Dan Dupuis with The Co-Operators in Windsor said he has seen the evidence first hand. "You see people stopping and sliding an extra 5 or 6 feet without snow tires, even in normal rain!" according to Dupuis.

In Ontario, insurance companies are obligated to offer you a discount when you install winter tires.