As we head deeper into fall, many people are taking the opportunity to prepare their vehicles for winter and that includes installing winter tires.

According to Peter Teichroeb of Sunvalley Tire, the ideal time to make the switch from all seasons is when the temperature drops to 7 degrees Celsius.

Peter Teichroeb Teichroeb says there is a wide variety of winter tires to chose from that will improve a vehicles' mobility and traction on snowy, ice-covered roads.

"That's when an all season tire will lose its traction on the highway and that's when the winter tire kicks in," he explained. "With that temperature the rubber compound on a winter tire is much softer than an all season tire so you'll have better traction when you're driving as well as braking."

On the flip side, if you leave winter tires on your vehicle too late into spring Teichroeb says the heat of the higher temperatures will melt the tire on to the pavement as your driving, adding over time that hardens the soft compound in a winter tire and results in the loss of gripping power required during the winter months.

If you are considering winter tires for your vehicle this season, Teichroeb says there is a wide variety to chose from that will improve a vehicles' mobility and traction on snowy, ice covered roads. Those options are studless or studded tires.

"Studded tires...do give you better traction on ice than a studless, but they are improving studless tires to give them a better grip and traction mobility on ice as well," said Teichroeb.

If you favour a studded tire, he notes October 4th is the first day of the season they can legally be on the road and they can be used until April 30th.