As I splashed through the slop of Denver’s first big storm this morning, I started thinking about tires. You’d think I was all good: all-wheel drive, all-season tires. But the initial quick rush of acceleration meant nothing when it came time to brake while turning onto the highway’s onramp. Understeeeer…eeeeh!

Luckily I was ready for it, having been to Bridgestone’s Winter Driving School twice. But watching everyone else careen about on the Interstate, I knew the only way to have that extra margin of braking or turning reserve was with the right winter (i.e. snow) tires. That’s a simple difference between grip and traction: traction (like a 4×4 offers) will get ya outa the ditch; grip is what allows you to make an emergency maneuver or out-brake an impending pile-up. The new (December) issue of Car and Driver magazine does a great job of covering summer vs. all-season vs. winter tires on the same car under controlled condition, and Tirerack.com’s got a great test here as well.

Suffice it to say, even though I live in the Rockies, I’d rather trust my safety to a rear drive car on appropriate—winter—rubber than to an AWD one on all-seasons.

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