Moving through the snow, sleet and ice of winter is probably the most dangerous of driving tasks. Winter tires are specially engineered to perform in cold, wet and snowy weather, and they are optimized for handling and traction under wet conditions. Tread blocks are large and well spaced, allowing more room for snow and water to evacuate from between the tire and the road. The larger blocks also act like cleats on a football or soccer shoe, digging into the mud, sand and gravel. Some of the new tread designs incorporate thousands of tiny surface cavities that act like suction cups, helping to stick the tire to the road.
If weather conditions call for their use, make sure to install winter tires all the way around, it doesn't matter if it is front wheel drive or rear wheel drive, 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive. If you only install winter tires on only the front wheels of a front wheel drive vehicle it will provide great stopping and acceleration traction, but when you try going around a corner, the rear end will spin around.