Lecture Notes: Comparison of All-Weather and All-Season Tires

Overview

• Location: Toronto, sunny day
• Subject: Differences between winter tires - All-Season vs. All-Weather
• Test Vehicles: Two identical Volkswagen Jetta sedans
  • Black Car: Bridgestone All-Season Tires
  • White Car: Nokian All-Weather Tires

Tire Types

• All-Season Tires
  • Referred to as three-season tires in Canada
• Winter Tires
  • Dedicated for winter use
• All-Weather Tires
  • Splits difference between all-season and winter tires
  • Designed for year-round use

Test Setup

• Course: Made with trucked-in snow
• Challenges: Includes Icy Skid Pad
• Tests: Braking and cornering performance comparison

Test Results

Braking Test

• Speed: Conducted at 20 and then 25 km/h
• Results: Both cars stopped at around seven pylons.
• Observation: Minimal difference in braking between all-weather and all-season tires.

Cornering Test

• Icy Skid Pad
  • All-Season (Black Car): Slid significantly offline
  • All-Weather (White Car): Maintained a tight line
• Turns at 25 km/h: Illustrates better handling with all-weather tires

Icy Slalom Course

• Terrain: Snow and pavement turns
• All-Season (Black Car)
  • More steering needed to maintain line
  • Slower due to understeering and tire scrubbing
• All-Weather (White Car): More controllable

Conclusion

• Safety Margin: All-weather tires provide better safety in emergencies (e.g., sudden stops, avoiding obstacles)
• Recommendation: All-weather tires or dedicated winter tires are preferable for safety
• Considerations:
  • Winter Tires: Need storage, shorter lifespan on pavement
  • All-Weather Tires: Suitable as the only set of tires for safer winter driving

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• Speaker: Clayton Seam
• Event: Driving.ca tire demonstration