As temperatures drop across the GTA, local auto shops are warning drivers not to wait until the first blast of winter to swap out their tires. At SSR Auto Service in East York, business is picking up as temperatures dip. The shop’s owner, Bilal Ashraf says the rush hits hard the moment snow is in the forecast.“Usually when it snows the next two, three days it gets very busy and then they wait until it snows again, then it gets busy again,” he said.Ashraf says planning ahead helps drivers avoid long wait times, and the risk of getting caught on unsafe tires.“We tell all our customers to come before it snows,” says Ashraf. “Because we are first come, first served, it gets too busy, and a lot of people struggle to get appointments at other shops.”Toronto resident Mohammed Alfatlawi dropped by the shop to get his tires changed ahead of the rush.“This is my first time switching my tires,” he said. “I’ve always had all-seasons and they worked fine, but my brother always told me, you should be more careful.”All-season tires or winter tires?According to CAA, winter tires provide more stability, and more control. They also reduce braking distance by 25 per cent or two car lengths. “We always recommend installing a set of four matching winter tires right about now when that temperature starts to consistently hit around seven degrees for seven days straight,” says Nadia Matos, a spokesperson for CAA. CAA adds that many drivers mistakenly believe all-season tires perform just as well in winter. In heavy snow and icy conditions, CAA says, the rubber on all-seasons harden and traction is lost.“In winter tires there is, silica a compound, that allows the rubber tires to stick and grab on to the roads much easier,” says Matos. “All-season tires don’t have that. And so they’re not as flexible, malleable, and they can’t really grip onto the road as well as the winter tires on there.”Road experts say the earlier drivers make the switch, the safer their winter commute will be.