TRAC finds Canadians' winter tire use is gradually increasing

CAMBRIDGE, Ontario—It may come as no surprise, but winter tire shipments across Canada have grown at an annualized rate of 4 percent over the past five years, making winter tires the fastest-growing tire category in the country, according to the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada.

TRAC said the growth of this category is due to efforts by tire makers, retailers and the government to educate drivers about the superior traction and shorter stopping distances provided by winter tires. Government incentives to make winter tires more affordable have also had a positive impact.

TRAC's 2017 Canadian Consumer Winter Tire Study, conducted by Leger, found that 66 percent of Canadian motorists drive on winter tires.

Outside Quebec, where winter tire use is law, the percentage drops to 60 percent.

For the approximately 40 percent of survey respondents not using winter tires, the top reasons were:

• the belief that all-season tires provide sufficient traction (51 percent);
• reduced driving in winter (22 percent); and
• cost (21 percent).

Regionally, the 2017 study found that 60 percent of British Columbia drivers use winter tires; 57 percent in Alberta; 48 percent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan; 59 percent of Ontario; and 83 percent in the Atlantic Provinces.

"Despite increasing winter tire usage, educating drivers about the safety benefits of winter tires remains critical to making our roads safer in winter," said Glenn Maidment, president of TRAC.

"The fact that four-in-10 motorists outside Quebec are not using winter tires puts at risk everyone who drives in cold-weather conditions—regardless of whether the road surface is dry, snow-covered or icy. Every motorist needs to understand winter tires radically outperform all-seasons in all cold-weather driving conditions."

Advanced tire technology has enabled winter tires to have superior traction and braking capabilities, according to TRAC. These advances have improved traction performance across all tire categories, but especially for winter tires.

The tread compounds in today's winter tires retain their flexibility even in extreme cold. At temperatures at or below 7º C, winter tires provide significantly better traction than all other types, providing greater control on all cold-weather road surfaces and significantly shorter stopping distances, the association said.

"Research by the Quebec government shows that, since the winter tire law was enacted, the province saw a significant decrease in injury accidents in the province," Maidment said. "Imagine the massive reduction in vehicle damage and personal suffering during the winter driving season across Canada if all drivers protected themselves and their families with winter tires."

The report was generated through an online survey of 1,633 Canadians October 9–12, using LegerWeb.

The full 2017 Winter Tire Report, which includes market and test data, is available at www.tracanada.ca.