It's all a matter of technology advancements. To receive this logo, tires must be able to deliver a 10-percent increase in performance over a control tire. However, said control tire hasn't changed for nearly a decade. In fact, at the time, the industry used a basic all-season tire.

That's why some winter tires now boast a 50- or 60-percent increase in performance, while others barely exceed the minimum standard set by the aforementioned all-season tire.


Here, the experiment was conducted with a Toyota 4Runner, again from a speed of 20 kph. We compared a Bridgestone winter tire with another brand's all-season tire (both displayed the snowflake logo). While the former took 9.4 meters to stop the vehicle, the latter averaged 1.8 meters more.

"For sure, we're glad to see that motorists will be driving more safely with winter tires from now on. But we encourage them to ask the right questions and not rely solely on the snowflake to select the tire that will protect them and their families," says Mr. Giroux.


Photo Credit : Philippe Champoux