Why Snow Tires are Essential in Winter
Is it necessary to have snow tires on your car in winter? If you’ve ever been caught in an unexpected snow storm with regular tires, you probably wouldn’t even ask that question. In a real blizzard, such as that experienced in the northeastern US this December, even snow tires are no help. In those light to medium snowfalls, however, especially when the midday sun melts it only to have it refreeze underneath the slush overnight, snow tires can be life savers.
Normal tires have a tendency to hydroplane over ice, much like they do when you hit a puddle at high speed. On ice, however, this skidding can happen even at low speeds. Once you’ve lost control on ice, it is next to impossible to do anything but hang on and hope you don’t hit anything before the car comes to a stop. Actually, you hope it won’t hit anything harder than a snow bank at any time. Even the deeper tread tires lack the ability to punch the crust of ice to give you the traction necessary for control of the vehicle.
Snow tires, on the other hand, are constructed to break through, or at least penetrate the surface of ice, allowing the car to maintain contact with the road, and giving the driver a measure of control. Heavier than regular tires, they cause the vehicle to hug the surface, and this is absolutely essential to minimize skidding.
When the weather outside is frightening, and you have no alternative but to drive in it, make sure you’ve installed your snow tires. In the past, snow chains were required in many places, but chains are difficult to install, damage road surfaces, and unless they are properly fitted, can slip and cause skids themselves. Because of the potential damage and the cost of repairing roads, most jurisdictions no longer require them. In the same vein, some areas don’t make snow tires mandatory, although if you have an accident on a snow-covered road and your car does not have snow tires, the insurance companies are likely to balk at paying your claim, or at least give you a hard time about it. In addition, police who investigate the accident will probably be forced to assess most of the blame for the accident to you; especially if you’re involved with another car and it has snow tires. There will likely be an assumption that you lost control, and this could be called contributory negligence – much like the case when a pedestrian walks into the street anywhere other than a crosswalk without looking out for cars.
Snow tires are not inexpensive, but when you consider the cost of repairing damage to your car, even minor scratches and dents, they don’t seem like such a bad investment.
