mise. This is where engineers earn their paycheck,
adding materials like silica, bamboo powder, and
sometimes even crushed walnut shells for added
bite in winter—allowing the rubber to keep the
same firmness.
Another useful tool for adding winter perfor-
mance is siping. These are small slits inside the
tread blocks that increase the number of biting
edges in the tread. Sipes provide a cavity that pulls
away the small layer of water on top of the ice to pro-
vide more grip. Contrary to popular belief, studless
tires can produce plenty of traction on ice after dis-
persing this layer of water. While the added grip
through winter conditions is invaluable, sipes also
add traction in wet conditions and promote even
tread wear throughout the life span of the tire.
The tread pattern is also paramount when it
comes to extracting maximum all-weather per-
formance. Compared to the previous-generation
Open Country A/T II, the A/T III has added lat-
eral grooves to enhance overall traction, along
with stone-ejecting blocks and staggered shoulder
lugs to enhance traction in soft terrain. Toyo also
optimized the acoustics of the tire, which becomes
especially useful in the summer months on the
highway. As each size of tread block produces a dif-
ferent frequency of sound, the A/T III has various
sizes and shapes of tread block, specifically tuned
to produce a lower frequency that’s less noticeable.
As the only interface bet ween you and the road, a
good set of tires can make or break the driveability
of your vehicle—which sits on a contact patch of only
a few square inches at each wheel. This is why tires
are one of the most engineered parts of your vehicle.
Toyo’s Open Country A/T III, and other 3PMSF-
rated all-terrain rubber, is great for cold-weather
climates with plowed roads and limited snowfall.
However, swapping to a dedicated winter tire will
always be the way to go for drivers in alpine climates
where snow accumulates.WITH WINTER MONTHS
on the horizon, it’s time
to think about getting
your vehicle ready for the
conditions. We reached
out to Team O’Neil Rally
School in Dalton, New
Hampshire, for some
tips to keep you pointed
in the right direction.
WINTER
DRIVING
BEST
PRACTICES
1
PREPARE YOUR
VEHICLE
While winter tires are
essential when snow
begins to accumulate, you’re
not totally dead in the water
if you’re running all-season
rubber. If you have no other
option, it’s important to at
least ensure that your tires
are properly inflated and have
an adequate amount of tread
left over. With at least 50 per-
cent tread depth, you’ll be
fine in cold and wet weather,
but driving in deep snow with
all-seasons still isn’t advisable.2
LOOK WHERE YOU
WANT TO GO
Despite this phrase being
repeated ad nauseam
when you were learning how
to ski or snowboard, your
instructor was right. Humans
have a natural tendency to
move in the direction they’re
looking. However, target fixa-tion is a real problem that can
put you at risk when things
start to go south. Therefore,
when you lose traction, don’t
stare at what you’re going to
run into; shift your focus to
where you want to end up.3
LIMIT YOUR INPUTS
While your first inclina-
tion in an emergency
situation will most
likely involve slamming on
the brakes or aggressively
swerving around an oncom-
ing obstacle, these are easily
the worst things you can do in
the winter. Any sudden move-
ments like these will lead to a
loss of traction. Gradual inputs
will help you maintain control.4
ONE THING AT A TIME
It doesn’t take a racing
driver to realize that
there are three stages to
every corner: braking, turning,
and accelerating. Despite thecolossal investment that man-
ufacturers incur on research
and development, your tires
are only good at doing one
of those things at a time.
When approaching a corner,
it’s important to brake in a
straight line, turn the car, and
accelerate out of the corner in
a straight line.5
TEST THE
CONDITIONS
Grip levels are subject to
change in the winter. This
is why it’s a good idea to start
out slow to get a feel for things
in a safe area—not the public
road—before you approach
other traffic. This can be as
simple as tapping the brakes to
see how far you can go before
locking up, or jiggling the
steering wheel to find where
your front wheels will bite. We
repeat: Don’t do this on the
main roads or in any location
that could create an incident.88 November/December 2021
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