Are all-weather tires a safe substitute for dedicated winter tires?

Q. I am an employee safety representative in the Atlantic provinces. My company runs a fleet that covers multiple provinces including Quebec. Because, by law, vehicles in Quebec have to be fitted with winter tires from December 1 to March 15, the company has been using the Goodyear Wrangler Dura Trac, which has the mountain-and-snowflake symbol that identifies it as a winter tire. However many drivers have complained to me that the DuraTracs are not great in 90% of their winter driving (slush, ice, hard-packed snow). Do you know if any of the other all-weather tires are any better?
–C.M.

A. Fleet buyers, who are overwhelmingly driven by cost and downtime, can be an easy sell when it comes to all-weather tires, which are designated for year-round use in winter climates. The savings from reducing their outlay for a second set of four tires, not having to install them in spring and fall each year, as well as not having to deal with tire storage, is difficult for a fleet administrator to pass up.

Some benefits of all-weather tires

With all-weather tires, there’s no need to worry about autumn and spring tire changeover (although you do have to rotate tires every 8,000 to 10,000 km to maintain even wear). You’ll also cross off-season tire storage charges off your list of expenses, which will save a minimum of $100 a year per set if you currently pay for tire storage. And all-weather tires are a  year-round solution for a leased vehicle (if the lessor will accept them back instead of the tires that originally came with the vehicle).

Where all-weather tires are a compromise

All-weather tires carry the mountain and snowflake symbol, which means that when new they are able to pass the traction test applicable to a dedicated snow tire. That does not mean all tires with the symbol can be trusted in winter. Tire-makers have begun taking advantage of the ageing performance standard for winter tires to slap a winter tire logo on all-terrain truck tires and other tires that perform poorly in winter conditions. All-weather tires are a compromise on ice and in snow compared to the best-dedicated winter tires. Their tread is relatively aggressive compared to a passenger car’s all-season tire to favour traction on uncleared roads. However, the rubber compound is harder and more heat resistant than a winter tire, to permit good warm weather performance.

I asked the APA’s tire testing expert, Michel Poirier-Defoy, for his observations about your inquiry. His response:

“Although Quebec is the only jurisdiction in North America to require dedicated winter tires, climate change is an international concern that promises less predictable weather that will favour tires rated for winter conditions. So, Goodyear added the winter tire mountain and snowflake logo to many of its existing tires, to contribute to the perception that they are a year-round solution.

“A lot of R&D was done in the last decade to make all-weather tires last longer. And because the winter tire traction standard is low and out of date, it was relatively simple to add the mountain and snowflake logo to many current tires. Consequently, the tire makers have branded some former all-season tires as all-weather tires. This is particularly the case with all-terrain or AT tires in the light truck segment. The Goodyear Dura Trac is one of the more capable all-terrain tires for off-road use (read: mud). Like several other Goodyear truck tires, it now carries the mountain and snowflake tire logo required for tires used in winter in the Province of Quebec. However, that does not mean they perform well in snow and slush—likely just a tad better than before.

“We could look at other manufacturers’ lines and find tires that were also reclassified as winter tires, but are not designed for the slush, heavy snow, hardpack or icy surfaces typical of winters in Atlantic and Central Canada. When driving in difficult winter conditions or trailering heavy equipment, tires like the Dura Trac will not perform like a dedicated winter tire: expect longer stopping distances, understeer in corners (the truck runs wide), and wheel slip when accelerating. If so equipped, the vehicle should be kept in 4×4 mode.”

The current standard for winter tires involves testing on the dry snow typical of the high altitude mountainous regions of Western Canada and the United States. It was developed by the tire industry nearly two decades ago to bring back some sanity to the marketplace because the all-season tire designation had lost its meaning. At the time it was adopted, the people working on the standard understood it was a compromise that would have to be updated over time. The traction requirement was set fairly low to ensure buy-in from the major manufacturers. There is no test for ice, nor other surfaces typical of the winter roads in a cold coastal environment like Atlantic Canada or in Central Canada. The APA has received generally positive reviews about the top-rated all-weather tires in our tests from consumers on the West Coast. These are people who operate all-wheel-drive vehicles and appreciate the convenience of a year-round tire that is secure in wet weather and allows them to drive on roads that are restricted to vehicles with snow tires or chains in winter.

Voluntarily limiting the all-weather designation to tires that actually are all-weather appears to be outside the realm of possibility for the tire industry, taken as a whole. Perhaps the tire-makers will one day come to regret the consequences of reclassifying tires to meet an out-of-date standard. People, like you, who have real-world experience to share should write the federal Minister of Transport and let him know your concerns—public interest in a solution to this problem could make it a priority.

In the interim, the mix of genuine and questionable all-weather tires in the replacement market plays havoc with retailers and consumers alike. Most retailers don’t have the training to distinguish the good all-weather tires from the duds. The complete ratings for all-weather tires tested by the APA for winter 2020 are available on the association’s website. Three of the 10 tires tested were deemed unsuitable for winter, despite the fact that they carry the mountain-peaks-and-snowflake symbol that designates a winter tire.

Here are two All-Weather tires that performed better than the rest in the APA’s tire testing for winter 2020:

Nokian WR G4 SUV

The WR G4 All-Weather tire outperformed many winter tires in snow. Good tread wear. Expensive with a limited distribution network.

Toyo Celsius CUV

Not quite as capable as the WR G4 SUV, the Celsius ranked second in the APA’s testing. Cheaper than the Nokian WR G4.

For commercial vehicles that require an LT (Light Truck) tire rated for heavy loads like your company, an APA recommended retailer recommended these options:

Nokian Rotiiva AT Plus

Toyo Open Country AT/II

He suggested your company try a set (or both) this winter before committing to a fleet-wide purchase next autumn, to ensure winter performance meets your drivers’ expectations.

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