A winter tire can make a huge difference to your safety on the road during the cold weather months. In fact, recent testing has shown even a worn out set of winter tires can outperform brand new all season tires in gripping the road.

Ross McLaughlin headed out to a track in Pitt Meadows to test for himself the traction and tread of winter and all season tires.

The temperature was around 8 degrees and while it was too warm for snow, a team at Kal Tire used dry ice to lower the temperature of the road surface.  And they rucked in shaved ice, used to pack fish, from the Steveston Harbour Authority and a snow like mixture from local rinks, to mimic winter driving conditions.

After a quick lesson by professional driver Joanne Younker and a brake test, they hit the track. There were four vehicles in all for McLaughlin to drive, all with different tread wear.

First up was a brake test through the snow with worn winter tires, followed by another lap with new all season tires.

The difference was surprising. The new all season tires didn’t fare as well as the worn winter tire.

Next, was a different test with professional driver Richard Warrington. Driving 30 kilometres an hour, Warrington and McLaughlin headed straight into the snow.

The vehicle with the worn all season tires did the worst of the group. But again, the car with the worn winter tires did better than the new all season tires.

"An all season tire in a colder climate would not react quite as well," said Kyle Lewarne of Kal Tire. That’s because the compound performs differently in temperatures seven degrees and below.

Kal Tire has done extensive testing on the safety of worn tires and found some surprising results.

On an icy road at 30 kilometres per hour, the 75 per cent worn five-star premium winter tire stopped in 29.7 metres; 2.6 metres sooner than the new 3-season, which stopped at 32.3 metres.

When it came to turning corners, the 75 per cent worn premium winter tire held a corner 4.3 per cent better than the new 3-season tire.

It’s recommended you change to winter tires when the temperature drops to about 7 degrees celius or lower and snow falls. But when the temperatures warm up you should change back to all season tires to preserve the life of your winter tires.

While it can be more costly to switch tires, it can also be safer.

However, Consumer Reports has recommended two new combination tires that combine the benefits of winter tires with all season tires. They are the Nokian WR G3 and Toyo Celsius. But they still didn't outperform the top winter tires.