This Could Be a Long Winter, Are Your Tires up for It?

The winter months can be a dangerous time for drivers, even if their cars are well-prepared for snow and ice. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2011 that 2,600 fatal accidents were a result of either rain or snow. In the United States, about 70% of all winter weather deaths are a result of poor road conditions, like ice. Unfortunately, this winter season hasn’t been any less hazardous. If you haven’t heard, a polar vortex has plunged many areas of the country unfamiliar with wintry conditions into subzero temperatures.

It’s not too late to get your car better prepared to handle the challenges of winter roads. It all starts at a tire sales shop.

Discover if your car is up to winter weather challenges.

Do you know if your current tires are a liability, or if they’re going to help you when the road gets slick? Most tire sales shops are a part of regular autobody repair companies, so you can count on the expertise of the staff to find out just how prepared you are for winter driving conditions. Although one of your primary concerns should be getting your tires checked, you can also ask that the staff look at your brakes, battery, ignition, thermostat, and antifreeze to make sure that you don’t get caught in a cold and dangerous situation.

Find the appropriate tires for your driving needs.

Before you rush to find tire sales, you need to know which tires are going to serve you and your car well. Whether you end up choosing Good Year tires, or Dunlop tires, the brand doesn’t matter quite as much as the type of tire that you go with. It is likely that the tires on your vehicle right now are all terrain tires. They provide handling that is as acceptable in the summer as it is in the winter, which is to say that during the winter, when conditions get bad, you’re not well equipped. Snow tires have special treads to help your vehicle get better traction on snow and ice. They are also formulated to be more pliant in the winter, a problem that normal tires have when the mercury drops, and the tire material becomes un-yielding. If you can count more bad driving days each winter than there are good driving days, you need snow tires. If you expect to deal with intermittent ice and snow conditions, they may recommend snow chains.

Snag a good deal on an upgrade.

If it turns out that your car would be much safer with snow tires on during the winter months, then a few trusted mechanics may be all you need to find the best and most affordable tires. However, remember to do your research online so that you can discuss your options intelligently, and make a smart decision about which tires need to be purchased.

Considering how the weather has been this year, while you have your car at the mechanics’ shop, you should make sure that you don’t need brake repair. Tires are just one part of safe winter driving, albeit a very critical part. Fortunately, with a little bit of effort, you could find that getting new weather-appropriate tires is so simple that you will wonder why you ever took your chances with all season or all terrain tires in the first place. Check out this site for more.