That's the official word as federal, industry and consumer groups prove their declaration that winter tires are better

OTTAWA-It's a simple task but even on a film set things don't always go accord- ing to plan.

The drivers were supposed to acceler- ate in unison, hit their marks and simulate a side-by-side panic stop. Time and time again, one driver wouldn't be able to accelerate properly. Then under braking, he'd slide, frequently knock- ing a set extra square in the chest.

The reason? One vehicle was fitted with winter tires, the other with all- season rubber. The extra? An inflatable man. The film? Why winter tires should be fitted to vehicles in Canada.

Set for a release later this year, the project was organized and funded by the Automobile Protection Association.

APA president George Iny said the disparity between takes reinforced the need for winter rubber.

"Even with professional drivers on a closed circuit, sometimes a manoeuvre took several tries to execute," he added.

"This is with every advantage afforded to them. On the highway, you don't have the chance to take a corner again if you spin and hit a guardrail."

This demonstration was a first in Canada. Instead of a typical tire test that pits tire manufacturers against each other, this one focused on the disparity between winter and all-season tires in snowy and icy conditions.

But why has it taken so long to film such a demonstration? Nigel Mortimer, one of the demonstration's professional drivers and head of recalls for Transport Canada, says that extensive ABS brake tests within the ministry highlighted the need for winter tires.

"People didn't believe us when we released a tire guide and called for winter tires," Mortimer said. "It gave us the impetus for a demo, to show people the difference between winter and all-sea-son rubber."

Mortimer says that real-world data that generally influences public opin- ion and lawmakers - collision data - are hard to come by when examining tires. In non-fatal accidents, he says, tire tread depth and type of tires fitted are never documented by police. Why? Drivers are generally cited for driving too fast for the conditions - no matter what tires are fitted.

Another partner of the event was the Rubber Association of Canada. Ralph Warner, director of operations, says its objective is to put good information out

to consumers, because there are mis- conceptions in the marketplace. "One misconception is that all-season tires are equivalent to winter tires," Warner said. "But a while ago, tire com- panies were marketing all-season tires for every season - now we've realized there's a distinct performance difference between the two." Iny believes in better education for the consumer.

"There are two or three factors in ex-amining winter tires. First, tire knowledge isn't as easy to come by as automo- tive knowledge," he said. "Second, the advent of all-wheel drive and electronic stability and traction controls have improved to the point where manydrivers think they can get away with driving on all-season tires.

"Third, the tire industryhas caught up and realized that you can't get optimal winter performance with all-season tires:'

Warner realizes, however, that economic factors sometimes make investing in winter tires prohibitive.

"Lots of people would love to buy the safest tires. The best we can do is to ensure that people fully understand the case for winter tires, so they can make the best decisions for their situation," Warner said, adding: "ultimately they are an investment in safety." Mortimer added two sets effectively doubles the life of each set because the tires are only used for part of the year.

From Transport Canada's standpoint, Mortimer says, any decision to mandate winter tires - as is the case in Newfoundland for vehicles to be equipped with at least two winter tires on their drive wheels falls on the shoulders of the Ontario Government. But they can disseminate information and release advisories on the benefits of winter rubber.

The results of the APA test? Not a surprise: the winter rubber was far superi- or in every demonstration, from cor- nering to braking. Outcomes were the same no matter what vehicle types were tested - the event featured rear- wheel drive (Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Chevrolet Silverado, Ford Crown Victoria), front-wheel drive (Toyota Echo hatchback, Mitsubishi Lancer Sport- back) and four-wheel drive (two Honda Ridgelines).

The surprises layin the unpredictability of certain combinations - like win-ter tires fitted to the front wheels of the Echo, with all-season tires in the rear - which resulted in the Echo spinning like a large silver curling rock through the braking test.

Full videos of the demonstrations will be available from the APA closer to the fall. All vehicles were part of the Trans- port Canada fleet, with tires donated by Bridgestone Firestone Canada and Mi- chelin Canada.

wheels@thestar.ca