Sticking to the Ground
Image 1: Cars driving in the snow (Image Courtesy of Kelley Blue Book Co.®, Inc.)
Here’s a fact: driving on icy roads is never fun. The dangers of driving escalate as there’s an increased chance of losing control as you’re driving. Thankfully, however, tire manufacturers have found something that greatly helps drivers navigate these icy roads.
Image 2: The Goodyear Ultra Grip® Performance 3 tire with multiple sipes (Image Courtesy of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company)
Tire manufacturers such as Goodyear create stickier tires using sipes. These sipes help the tire get more traction on the road in the ice and snow. Here’s a little equation which helps explain this phenomenon:
F_static = 𝜇_static x N
F_static: Force of static
friction
𝜇_static: Coefficient of static
friction
unique for each kind
of tire
N: Normal force tire makes
with the ground
Understanding how both static friction and sipes in tires work, it’s easy to see why these kinds of tires work in the winter. They’re also much of what make it possible for those of us who live in the wintry cold get to work, the grocery store, and wherever else we need to go. While these tires most likely won’t fully eliminate the effects of sliding on ice, good winter tires and the right driver training can greatly improve driving outcomes during the bitter cold.
Image 3: A person enjoying a drive in the snow (Image Courtesy of Regional Medical Group)
So, while the snow and ice can still be scary, developments from tire manufacturers and proper driving techniques can make driving in these conditions safer for everyone.
Interested in learning more about tires? Check out the “Handling Life’s Twists, Bumps and Turns” section in Unifunful’s article The Art of Mastering Driving!
Let us know what topics you’d like us to tackle next in the comments below!
Revisions:
January 7, 2026 8:35 P.M. CST: revised rolling resistance equation to static friction equation since static friction is more appropriate for snow tire performance in this article than rolling resistance is
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