"What wears the tires out is where they come in contact with the ground," says Gary Peterson, manager of the Ballard Les Schwab store.

That contact causes heat, or friction.

"So if we can cool this down, we add life on the end of the tire," says Peterson.

Siping can do just that. It helps cool down your tires, making them last longer. The process adds tiny slices into the tire's treads. Those slices keep things cooler, and in the process, can dramatically add to your traction.

"When it's wet, after getting them siped, it makes a huge difference," says Aaron, who had his performance tires siped.

"My slippage decreased at least 45 to 50 percent," says Allen, who had the tires on his Honda siped.

The best part is siping can be done on your current tires, and could extend the life considerably.

Case in point, I took my car in thinking I needed new tires. Bob, my technician said keep the tires, just get them siped. For about $13 a tire, I'll likely get another winter out of them.

Tire siping is not an industry-wide practice. At least one other company says the process may void your tire warranty, so keep that in mind. On the other hand, a handful of manufacturers sell tires that are siped at the factory.