Is Front Wheel Drive Enough for Winter Driving?

The temperatures are quickly dropping and many parts of the country will experience a white Christmas. Here in Delaware we can experience some icy road conditions in the winter, but how many people do you know that take the time to switch to winter tires for the season?

When it comes to winter driving, there are many car misconceptions that can impact your safety. Many drivers think that as long as they have a front wheel drive vehicle they’ll weather the winter driving conditions just fine. Drivers with all-wheel drive may have even more confidence when it comes to their ability to manage the snow and ice. Certainly these features help, and anti-lock breaks are really helpful as well, but the safest way to navigate winter driving utilizes these features as well as winter tires.

Winter tires feature specialized tread that grips the road better, and a recent test conducted by Automobile Magazine showed that they made a real difference in stopping speeds. Even at a speed of just 10 miles per hour, winter tires, on average, stopped a car 8 feet sooner. Those 8 feet could be the difference between a fender bender and a smooth ride.

When they looked at a more standard driving speed the impact of winter tires was even more pronounced according to the article “We Drove on an Ice Rink to Test the Effectiveness of Winter Tires,”



“From a 30 mph roll, the winterized Camry would come to a complete stop 63 feet sooner than the equivalent all-season tire, roughly four car lengths.”

It may seem like a hassle to purchase and store winter tires and have them changed out every year, but your safety is worth the extra effort. We’d love to help you keep your family safe, please contact us with any of your winter driving questions, maintenance needs or tire safety checks.