NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 24, 2011) – Your commute has its own dangers, but winter weather can present additional challenges that make daily travels even more difficult.
What is Blizzak?
The Bridgestone Blizzak brand was introduced in North America in 1992, designed specifically to provide drivers with improved handling in treacherous winter driving conditions.
The tread compound of Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires is more pliable than traditional tires, and remains flexible in cold temperatures. When water freezes to ice, tiny irregularities form on the surface. If the tread compound is rigid, the tire will tend to slide across these irregularities. Flexible tread compounds incorporated into Blizzak winter tires “dig into” jagged surfaces, providing drivers better control of their vehicle.
Bridgestone has continued to expand the Blizzak line since it was introduced, and currently has sizes from 14” to 22” to fit most vehicles on the road today.
Do I Need Winter Tires?
If you live in a climate where winter conditions are common for three or more months of the year, winter tires are a smart investment. Depending upon your driving habits, one set can see you through several winter seasons.
The winter tire is designed to provide maximum performance in low winter temperatures and on ice, snow and slush. This tire performs better due to its combination of more flexible sidewalls, winter tread patterns, deeper tread depth, and perhaps most importantly, tread compounds which remain soft in the lowest winter temperatures.
With the development of Bridgestone’s latest Blizzak – the WS70 – a great emphasis was also put on improving tire performance regardless of climate, including during normal road conditions (i.e., cold conditions, but without snow, ice or slush).
How do I tell the difference between a dedicated winter tire and others?
Retailers offer a wide range of tires sold as winter tires with an M+S (mud and snow) rating, but they are not at all equal in performance.
The best performing winter tires have a snowflake-on-the-mountain symbol branded on the tire's sidewall. The RMA (Rubber Manufacturers Association) designates winter tires that meet the newest severe snow standard with this special symbol. Tires that have earned this symbol can be expected to provide 25 to 50 percent more traction in winter’s worst conditions, which may be the difference between driving safely and losing control.
All Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires have earned this distinction.
How does driving in winter weather differ from driving at other times of the year?
Driving in winter weather offers a whole new set of obstacles, with additional driving skills needed to safely navigate.
Mark Cox, lead instructor at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, offers several important tips here. Find out more with the tips available on this page and at http://WinterDrive.com.
Where can I learn more about buying winter tires?
To learn more about Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, go to www.BridgestoneTire.com or visit one of 5,000 Firestone Complete Auto Care™ service centers or independent Bridgestone retailers nationwide. Find the store nearest you with our store locator, also on www.BridgestoneTire.com.
As with any purpose-built winter tire, the Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires should only be used during the winter season. During other seasons, drivers should use conventional tires.