October 1, 2008

Manitoba Public Insurance launches contest to promote benefits of winter tires

Snow tires can make your vehicle safer on winter roads by helping you stop more quickly and avoid sliding on ice and snow, says Manitoba Public Insurance.

That’s the message the public auto insurer hopes to get across to Manitobans through a promotion called Take Action on Traction, which runs until Oct. 31. A total of 10 lucky winners will have their vehicles equipped with a set of winter tires, says Clif Eden, manager of Road Safety Programming with Manitoba Public Insurance.

Manitobans can enter by going to the public auto insurer’s website: www.mpi.mb.ca. To qualify, entrants must correctly answer questions about the safety benefits of winter tires. Entry forms for Take Action on Traction will also be given out to people attending games of the Manitoba Moose, Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Brandon Wheat Kings and Flin Flon Bombers.

“Many collisions in the winter are directly related to the motorist being unable to stop, or going into an uncontrollable skid,” says Eden. “Research has shown that in severe winter weather snow tires can reduce stopping distances by up to 50 feet when braking from a speed of 50 kilometres per hour.”

According to Manitoba Public Insurance claims data, collision claims in the winter are nearly 50 per cent higher than in the spring and summer months.

Winter tires are made of soft compounds that remain flexible at lower temperatures, improving braking distance, says Eden. Snow tires also have directional tread designs that help maintain good traction on snowy, wet and slush-covered roads.

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