Winter Tire Tips You Should Know

Driving in winter weather conditions brings on a whole new set of challenges for your tires. Instead of being concerned with performance handling and a great ride at cruising speeds on the highway, it now becomes getting positive traction on snow and slush covered roads. Definitely not a time for any old cheap tires.

Here's a look at a few tips to keep in mind when it comes to using winter tires on your car, truck, SUV or minivan.

Do I Really Need Winter Tires?

This is generally the first question that drivers will ask. Naturally, it is going to depend on what part of the country you live in. Someone living in Dallas will not have to be worried about winter tires, while someone living in Duluth, MN better be prepared for all that Mother Nature is going to throw their way.

If you live in a place that sees several months of snow, sleet and ice, then getting a good set of winter weather tires is going to make good sense. These tires are specially designed with grooves and edges to give you the safety and traction you need for driving in extreme conditions. They are very much different from all season or touring tires.

Do I Need Winter Tires With My 4-Wheel Drive SUV?

You may be wondering if you really need snow tires when you have a nice 4-wheel drive SUV or pickup. It's easy to feel invincible when you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle. It can even be fun driving around on the snow playing if you will. But the truth is, 2 or 4 wheel drive can be meaningless on severe ice covered roads.

Winter tires are built specifically for driving in snow and ice. Without them you do not have the tread underneath of you that you need to be safe.

Years ago, a close friend of mine found this out the hard way. He had a 4-wheel drive with a set of all season tires and thought he was fine. That was up to the point we got a 10 inch snowstorm and he took a corner only to find his vehicle sliding out of control up into a front yard.

I Have ABS Brakes So I Don't Need Winter Tires

I've talked with many drivers over the years who feel that having ABS brakes means having any old kind of tires is just fine, even in winter weather. The problem in most cases is that they do not completely understand what ABS really does.

The ABS system in your vehicle prevents you from locking up the brakes when you slam on your brakes. That is a great feature of course, but what ABS does not do is give you traction and stability control when driving and turning corners.

On snow covered streets and highways, only winter tires will give you the necessary control you need in order to travel safely. ABS is not going to give you this type of traction and control.

What About Lowering My Tire Pressure In Snow And Ice?

Have you ever heard someone tell you that you don't need winter tires, you only need to lower the tire pressure on your tires you now have when driving on snow and ice? That it will give you better stability and control? I hope you haven't because it is a crock.

Driving on tires with low tire pressure is never a good idea regardless of driving conditions. Just think about it for a few minutes and I'm sure it will make sense to you. Don't try this old myth because it may cost you a wrecker bill to get pulled out of the ditch when you lose control because of it.