Winter Tire Maintenance: "It's More Dangerous to Replace Only Two Wheels"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seong Giho] As the full-fledged winter approaches, preparing for accidents on snowy and icy roads is becoming increasingly important. During winter, when temperatures drop below freezing, road conditions are particularly poor, so more attention must be paid to tire maintenance.

The reason winter driving is dangerous is that the friction between the tires and the road surface weakens due to snow and ice. Additionally, due to the characteristics of tires, when the road surface temperature rises, the rubber softens, increasing grip, but in winter, the rubber hardens, making it difficult to perform at its best.

For this reason, equipping stable winter tires in winter helps ensure safety. According to test results conducted by Hankook Tire & Technology, when braking at 40 km/h on snowy roads, winter tires have a braking distance of only 18.49 meters, whereas all-season tires reach 37.84 meters. In icy road tests (braking at 20 km/h), winter tires recorded about 14% shorter braking distance compared to all-season tires.

If you choose winter tires, it is best to replace all four tires. If only the front two tires are replaced with winter tires, the grip of the front tires increases, but the rear tires remain with low grip, which can cause the vehicle to deviate from the lane due to centrifugal force during sharp cornering. Conversely, if only the rear two tires are replaced with winter tires, the rear tires have high grip while the front tires have low grip, making vehicle control impossible during sharp cornering and risking the front of the vehicle veering off the driving road.

Also, since snowy and icy roads are 4 to 8 times more slippery than normal roads, sudden acceleration or braking should be avoided, and acceleration or deceleration during start and driving should be done slowly.

On snowy roads, when passing over tire tracks, hold the steering wheel firmly to avoid losing control, and on uphill roads, it is advisable to shift gears to low speed in advance. Additionally, on downhill roads, use engine braking. When braking, maintain sufficient distance to prepare for slipping and stop with ample margin, and be careful not to press the brakes suddenly and hard.

Lowering tire pressure than usual to prevent slipping is prohibited. Tire pressure naturally decreases over time, and especially in winter, it often decreases faster due to contraction phenomena, so it must be checked and adjusted regularly. Also, because temperature differences in winter cause repeated freezing and thawing, wear worsens, so tire pressure should be checked frequently.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.