Big fat snowflakes, ice-covered sidewalks, blowing snow and blizzards that seemingly come from nowhere! This is winter, and it’s our reality here in the snow belt. Sometime in late October, we are blessed with that first perfect snowfall and if we’re lucky we kiss the last of the sleet and slush goodbye in early April. Ugh. Winter can be long. As a family who travels, explores their city as often as possible, runs to hockey games, dinners downtown and has countless dance competitions hours away, we can’t let the weather slow us down. So what do we do to make sure the weather never stops us? We make sure we are always prepared. When dealing with that dreaded white stuff it’s important to have a warm winter coat, a fuzzy hat, great gloves, a fabulous pair of boots, and of course, we make sure our car and our tires are winter ready.
As a Mama in the Suburbs, I do a lot of driving. As the protective Mother of 2 young drivers, it’s doubly important to me to make sure my car is ready for anything Mother Nature throws at us. A typical week in my house sees endless carpools, driving to work obligations and occasionally a family trip that sends me 2 1/2 hours away to the nearest airport. I spend a lot of time in my car and I want to keep all of my people safe.
It’s essential to make sure my car is ready for the winter and whatever I may encounter along my way. From sleet and snow to the dreaded black ice, winter driving presents a unique set of challenges. The key to being prepared and road ready is proper tire maintenance. Most of us think about winter tires only as the cold sets in, but it’s also important to think about tire maintenance throughout those long winter months. Proper maintenance is the best way to keep tires in good condition and on the road as long as possible. Here’s a little trick to help remember how to keep those tires in top notch shape. Just remember PART as your acronym for tips to ensure you’re driving safely in snow and sleet this winter:
Pressure. Tire pressure should be checked once a month, or when outdoor temperatures change significantly. Check the edge of the driver’s side door or doorpost to find the recommended pressure for your vehicle.
Alignment. Alignment should be checked annually, but don’t hesitate to get it checked out sooner if it feels like your car is pulling to the side when you’re driving.
Rotation. It’s advised to get your tires rotated every 10,000 kilometres. Rotating your tires can help balance the wear-and-tear.
Tread. Your tires’ tread depth should be at least 3.2 millimetres. It’s a good idea to examine your tires for cuts, punctures or irregular wear. Give your tires an extra look mid-winter, as it can be harder to spot wear-and-tear on snowy tires.
Then maintain the life of your tires by following these simple tips:
- Extend the life of your tires during the winter by double-checking that tire valve caps are replaced. If tire valve caps are left off, the moisture in the valves can freeze, leading to air escaping. This can result in a flat tire, which can be hazardous in slippery conditions.
- Check your tire pressure regularly. Cold temperatures can have a big impact on the air in tires. Good traction is especially important in the winter and proper pressure helps tires maintain their grip – and if you’re setting out for a weekend out of town, you’ll want to make sure your drive is as stress-free as possible.
- Be consistent. Use winter tires on all four wheels. Inconsistent traction can lead to sliding and skidding.
- Replace and recycle. One aspect of safe winter driving is knowing when tires have outlived their lifespan. Replace winter tires every two-to-three seasons. If you’re planning to replace your tires and don’t know what to do with the old ones, you can drop off up to four used tires, free of charge, at a registered Ontario Tire Stewardship collector.
Once it’s time to retire your tire it can have a whole new life thanks to recycling. Your tire protected you on the road and got you through some tough winters, now it has the chance to come back in an almost dizzying array of ways! Recycled tire products can be found in use around your home, garden, driveway, or even in your local arena, community centre or outdoor skating rink. Recycled rubber tires have been made into rubber mulch, playground surfaces, landscape tiles, athletic flooring, roofing tiles and so much more. These amazing recycled products are shock-absorbing, fire resistant, long-lasting, noise reducing, durable and low maintenance, slip resistant and cost-effective. By using recycled rubber products you are choosing more sustainable products and helping our environment.
It’s amazing to watch these sustainable products made from scrap tires transform arenas and community centres across the province. You can do your part by dropping off old tires at a registered collector in Ontario. Visit www.RethinkTires.ca to find a registered collector near you.
Do you want to learn more about how to give tires new life? Follow Rethink Tires on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates, then do your PART to ensure you’re practicing safe tire maintenance year-round. Be sure to visit www.RethinkTires.ca for more tips on how to make your tires last as long as possible.
Giveaway Time! One lucky reader of How To Survive Life In The Suburbs will get to see for themselves the value in recycling those tires! One reader will WIN two products to help keep their front entryway organized – a recycled rubber floormat and a scalloped boot tray, both so handy during the cold winter and cool wet spring. ARV $50.00 To WIN simply tell me. What was your favourite tire tip? Hint: It can be one of the 4 tips provided to maintain your tires or a point from the “PART” explained above. Then use the Rafflecopter form below to earn those extra entries.
This giveaway is open to Canadians only, excluding Quebec, and to all those who have reached the age of majority in their Province. Closes March 19, 2018.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. In exchange for this post, I have received perks in the form of products and/or compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.
Tires really are a huge factor for road safety in canada – especially in the winter!!!
Getting alignment checked is definitely important. I don’t realize when my car starts “pulling”; usually my husband drives my car and will make a comment on it before I notice.
It’s so awesome how many ways old tires are being recycled to protect the environment!
Buying good tires and keeping them well maintained are important for safety. Thanks for the tips.
Good winter tires are so important, I see people up here in the North that don’t have them and with the way our roads are they put themselves and the rest of us in danger.
I live in the north of Ontario, so winter tires are a must. I can’t understand people who think all-seasons will cut it in a Canadian winter.
we always use winter tires in our region its a necessity!