3 Reasons Winter Tires Are Worth the Cost

Oh, the weather outside is frightful… but having traction is so delightful.

Owning a car is a major convenience. You get the freedom to drive yourself around at will without having to wait on public transportation or walking/biking in bad weather. But it comes at a cost. Even after you've paid off a car loan (or paid for your car in full upfront), you've got to contend with auto insurance premiums and maintenance costs. Sometimes an expensive needed repair will pop up, or you might get into a wreck and need to pay your car insurance deductible. My part of the world is currently immersed in winter, which honestly feels like 40% of the year around here. Like many people who live with bad winters, I have a little ritual.

Around Thanksgiving every year, I take my car to the mechanic shop to have my trusty all-season tires swapped out for the winter tires I bought a few years ago. This can be a hassle, and of course, it costs money both coming and going. I had to purchase the tires, and now I pay twice a year to have them put on and taken off (usually in April -- although snow has been known to appear as late as May here).

Keep reading to find out why I happily pay these costs -- and why you should consider winter tires if you also live in a snowy place.

1. Winter tires can keep you safer behind the wheel

I don't want to issue a blanket statement about winter tires reducing the odds of a wintry day car wreck. And of course, it's not enough to have special tires; you must also be a safer driver and take extra care when navigating snow and ice. A lot of people think that having a car with four-wheel or all-wheel drive is enough, and while these are great features, winter tires will offer you something absolutely crucial for winter driving: greater braking ability. Motortrend tested cars with and without winter tires, and noted a significant difference in braking distance for the cars with winter tires. They're made from a special rubber compound that stays softer in lower temperatures and the tread patterns are designed to improve traction in cold, wet conditions.

Having winter tires on your own car will not, unfortunately, improve others' driving habits. I have seen people do some seriously unwise things behind the wheel in even the worst road conditions. But I will be less likely to have to file an auto insurance claim if I can avoid getting into a car wreck thanks to being able to brake faster and keep traction to avoid sliding into other cars or obstacles on the road.

2. You can keep your other tires for longer

If you're the type of person who enjoys getting your money's worth out of a purchase (and I'm betting you are), having winter tires means you'll get longer use out of your set for warmer weather. For me, that's a set of all-season tires I bought when I moved to my current state several years ago. Since they sit in storage over the winter months, I haven't yet needed to replace them.

3. You'll have greater peace of mind

There's really no way to put a price tag on being able to sleep at night -- or breathe a little easier when you get behind the wheel in bad weather conditions. I heartily dislike driving in the snow, but sometimes it is unavoidable if I am to live my life during that 40% of the year where winter rears its ugly head. I feel better knowing I have done all I can to keep both my body and my bank account balance safer by using winter tires.

Winter tires weren't a purchase I ever considered before I moved to what feels like the arctic tundra on some winter days. And they might not be a need for those of you in warmer climates, but if you're regularly breaking out the snow shovel or snow blower and don't have winter tires, I recommend looking into them for all these reasons.