|
Winter
tires
North
American tire manufacturers and the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA) have
established a voluntary, industry-wide definition for passenger and
light truck
tires intended for use in SEVERE SNOW CONDITIONS.
Tires must meet a performance- based criteria feature tread pattern,
construction elements, and materials which generally provide snow
performance
superior to that of tires bearing the RMA's current M&S Rating.
RMA Severe
Snow Conditions-Rated.
This
new standard is intended to complement the current M&S rating
and make it
easier
for consumers to distinguish all-season M&S rated tires from
those
specifically designed for SEVERE SNOW CONDITIONS. Tires that meet this
new
standard will now carry both the M&S-rated marking and the
accompanying
mountain/snowflake pictograph shown to the right.
SAFETY
NOTE: Tires with this new designation provide a higher level of snow
and ice
traction compared to M&S or unmarked tires. Therefore, they
must be mounted
only in sets of four (4). This is necessary to maintain the handling
balance of
the vehicle both in snow and ice conditions as well as on dry
pavement.
IMPORTANT
SNOW TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION
Never
mix radial snow tires with tires of other construction, size, ply
rating,
performance rating or pattern type.
Always
match the performance ratings of the original tires or follow vehicle's
Owner's Manual snow tire replacement instructions.
For the best driving results, it is recommended that a complete
set of four
snow tires be mounted on a vehicle. On front-wheel-drive vehicles, snow
tires
must be fitted in complete sets of four tires. If high traction snow
tires are
mounted on the front and lower traction tires are mounted on the rear,
the rear
of the vehicle can lose traction during cornering or braking on snow or
ice and
spin out. This is a difficult condition for most drivers to control.
Snow tires
on all wheel positions will provide the most effective and safest
winter driving.
|