84% of Quebecois use winter tyres, but only 29% of Ontarians

Mississauga, Ontario -- Canadian inventories of winter tyres are depleting rapidly as a result of heavy snowfall in early November, says The Rubber Association of Canada.

A recent study conducted by The Canadian Press and Leger Marketing looked at usage of winter tyres across the country. Québec has the highest usage at 84 percent, followed by Eastern Canada at 57 percent. Surprisingly, only 29 percent of Ontario drivers make use of winter tyres. It may be just a coincidence, but in Ontario 26 percent of winter accidents are attributed to the absence of winter tyres, according to respondents from the Leger study. British Columbia is next at 28 percent, followed by Alberta at 22 percent and only 10 percent winter tyre usage in the Prairie provinces.

While still only 42 percent of Canadians use winter tyres, the trend, says the RAC, is unmistakable: more and more people are switching to winter tyres. Rubber tends to harden in cold weather, but these new generation winter tyres maintain their elasticity and gripping power at -35°C and below, whereas -- says the RAC -- traditional all-season tyres tend to stiffen and lose gripping power at around 0°C.

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Press release from The Rubber Association of Canada

Survey pegs Ontario winter tire usage at 29% Canadian Underwriter (Canada)