Keeping you on the road
Change up — Randy Santos, a tire technician at OK Tire, has been busy installing winter tires as people start driving through snow.
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Updated: October 28, 2009 7:47 PM
When driving in the winter, a good set of snow tires can make a big difference helping you stay in control of your vehicle.
At OK Tire, the experienced sales team will help match you with the best set of tires for your winter driving needs.
“We ask people what kind of driving they do and what quality of tire they are looking for,” explained Lee Bontje, Manger of Nelson’s OK Tire. “We want to make sure drivers and passengers are going to be safe on the tires they choose.”
OK Tire sells three tiers of tire, from entry level, which are good enough for basic city driving, to higher traction tires with more aggressive tread that will get you out to the ski hill and over the mountain passes with ease.
“We have something for every budget,” said Bontje. “We also take trade ins and sell used tires.”
If you go into the OK Tire store, you can see and feel the difference between the tires on display. A more expensive tire has softer treads to maintain its grip as the temperature drops.
“You can get three or four seasons out of some of the better tires. They’re an investment,” said Bontje.
Bontje stressed that it’s important that people do not attempt to get through the winter on all season tires. They simply aren’t designed to stick to the road in colder weather.
If you drive over the mountain passes, it’s the law in B.C. to have four winter tires on your vehicle after Oct 1. People caught without appropriate tires will be fined and told to turn around.
You can tell a tire is made for the snow if it has a mountain with a snow flake design on it. To comply with the law, it must also have a tread depth of at least 5/32”.
If you take your last year’s tire into OK Tire, they can tell you if they’ll be safe to use again. They can also do studding or sipeing (cutting parallel strips) on old tires to improve their grip.
“If people come into the store, we’ll talk them through all the options and help them get geared up for winter,” said Bontje. “We sell tires, put them on, and balance them. You can be in and out in a day if the tires you want are in stock.”
Visit OK Tire at 801 Front Street or call for an estimate at 250-505-5115.
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