TRAC: Winter tire use rising in Canada

TORONTO (Nov. 17, 2016) — Canadian drivers are adopting winter tires in record numbers, according to a new survey commissioned by the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC).

Outside Quebec, where winter tires are the law, 61 per cent of Canadian drivers now use winter tires. The survey's findings, when compared to an identical study in 2014, show double-digit or near double-digit increases in all regions outside of Quebec.

Winter tire use by region, excluding Quebec, is as follows:

• Nearly half (49 per cent) of British Columbia drivers now own winter tires, compared with  38 percent in 2014;

• Alberta's usage rate is now 55 percent vs. 45 percent in 2014;

• In Manitoba and Saskatchewan usage has climbed 11 percentage points to 50 percent;

• 65 percent of Ontario drivers now use winter tires, up from 56 percent in 2014;

• In Atlantic Canada, where winter tire usage is traditionally second only to Quebec, usage has risen eight percentage points to 81 percent.

 Among the 30 percent of drivers still not using winter tires, the belief that all-season tires provide sufficient traction (48 per cent) and cost (23 per cent) are the most common barriers to adopting winter tires.

To support consumer education efforts, TRAC has released a report detailing winter tire use in Canada and the latest market and test data. The full 2016 TRAC Winter Tire Report can be viewed by visiting the association's website.

Rising usage rates for winter tires are the result of significant improvements in tire technology, particularly in tread design and rubber compounds, TRAC said. These advances have improved traction performance across all tire categories, but especially for winter tires.

The softer tread compounds in today's winter tires retain their flexibility even in extreme cold. At temperatures at or below 7 degrees Celsius, winter tires provide significantly better traction than all other types. The result is significantly greater control on all cold-weather road surfaces and shorter stopping distances.

Factors driving winter tire usage include consumer education by industry and government and provincial financial incentives — such as Manitoba's low interest winter tire financing program and Ontario's mandatory auto insurance premium discount.

“Drivers adopting winter tires in record numbers is fabulous news because it means Canada's roadways in winter are becoming significantly safer,” said TRAC President Glenn Maidment.

“However, the fact that three in 10 motorists still do not own winter tires poses a threat to all motorists. This is why outreach to educate drivers continues to be needed. Every motorist needs to know that today's high-tech winter tires radically outperform all-seasons in all cold-weather driving conditions and offer potentially life-saving benefits.”

Since Quebec introduced mandatory use of winter tires in 2008, the provincial government has studied the impact on road safety and personal injury accidents. A study released in 2011 found that universal use of winter tires was responsible for a 5-percent decline in winter road-accident injuries.

This research concluded that 574 people were spared being involved in a personal injury accident because of universal winter tire use. The study also showed a 3-percent drop in deaths and serious road accident injuries.

A survey of 1,518 Canadian motorists was completed online between Oct. 17 and 20, 2014, using Leger's, LegerWebpanel. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of ± 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.