Around this time every year, auto publications such as Driving pull out the reminders that you need winter tires on your car. It’s like clockwork and, for some of you, it may be getting a little tired. “Winter tires, winter tires, blah, blah, blah.”

But there’s a reason we always bring it up just before the snow flies; there is no question that having winter tires on your car makes it safer when the temperature drops. Some of you dear readers understand the importance of winter tires, but there is still a large percentage of drivers out there who refuse to switch. So here, we’re not just going to tell you; we’re going to show you.

Kal Tire, an independent tire retailer, recently took over a portion of the parking lot at Woodbine Racetrack in Mississauga, Ontario, and in a very Canadian fashion, trucked in ice and snow from a local hockey arena, mixed with dry ice to battle the decidedly non-winter temperatures of 15º Celsius. This would be a smaller and slightly less scientific version of a test the company performed earlier this year in winter conditions; that test was to find out the difference in performance over ice and snow between not just new winter and three-season tires, but also worn winter and three-seasons.

Today, we’ve got four Chrysler 300Cs, one shod with new Nokian Hakkapeliitta snows, one with a used set, one with Nokian Entyre 2.0 new three-season, and one with a used set of those as well. We’re going to look at two tests: one will involve driving around a circle at 30 km/h and hitting a patch of snow, while the second is a pure braking test, coming in at the same 30 km/h and hitting the brakes hard on snow. And I wish every driver on the road could perform these tests in a similar safe environment, because the results are telling.

For the cornering test, the new winters kept the car in the curve with minimal sliding; the used winters did the same, only with slightly more sliding. The new three-seasons, however, had almost no grip, and the car understeered straight; what’s worse, as soon as the fronts hit the pavement again, the rear end swings out, having almost no grip already. And the used three-seasons were even worse. It’s fun on a controlled course, but if this were on a real road, especially with traffic, the results would be a spin-out and possible collision. That’s not fun.

The braking test was also just as revealing. With the brakes at full ABS, the difference in braking distance between the new winter tires and used three-seasons was about six metres. And don’t forget, this is at just 30 km/h; think about that, and then imagine trying to stop in an emergency at an intersection, or behind traffic on a snow-covered highway. You wouldn’t in time.

Unfortunately, this test today can’t demonstrate the differences in traction even on dry pavement; because of a different compound, winter tires have more grip below 7C than three-seasons, which get harder in the cold. Kal Tire’s official testing was done in winter weather, and with much more precision, using GPS trackers to measure the car’s speed, braking and even yaw in corners. But its findings mirrored those of today’s demonstration; even winter tires with 75 per cent worn tread outperform new three-seasons in the cold.

Yes, winter tires can be expensive; some are also better than others, and that’s usually reflected in the price. And yes, there’s the initial added cost of steel rims, a recommended purchase. But you’ll extend the life of your summer or all-season tires, so the cost actually spreads out over time.

But forget about cost; the reason you need to get winter tires is to keep you, your family and others on the road safer. If you have them already, make an appointment in the coming weeks to get them put on your car. And if you don’t own a set, it’s time you did.