When winter arrives in the Colorado Springs area, you can expect dozens of inches of snow to fall over the course of the season. To stay safe while driving on slippery roads and in treacherous conditions, getting winter tires should be at the top of your to-do list. Here are five things all Colorado drivers should know about winter tires.
Winter Tires Aren’t Just for Snow
Winter tires are often called snow tires, which might make you think they’re only necessary for snowy situations. That couldn’t be further from the truth, since winter tires are important for automotive safety in most cold weather conditions.
In fact, winter tires aren’t just designed to be different from other tires. Winter tires are actually made differently, with rubber compounds and other materials that keep them flexible even when the temperature dips below freezing. Increased flexibility means your tires have improved handling and stopping capabilities, too.
All-Season Tires and Winter Tires Aren’t Created Equal
Many drivers take the label too literally and believe that all-season tires will work in every weather condition from sunny summer afternoons to snowy winter mornings. Instead of considering all-season tires to be sufficient year-round tires, think of them as tires that work best during moderate weather changes. That means all-season tires work well when driving your 2016 Nissan in locations that don’t experience extreme weather conditions, but they’re not the best choice for the famously snowy Colorado Springs area.
Under-Inflated Tires Won’t Provide Additional Protection
Some drivers who understand the difference between winter and all-season tires attempt to compensate for the firmer and less flexible nature of all-season tires. Keep in mind that slightly deflating or under-inflating all-season tires won’t improve their flexibility or their ability to grip the road in slippery conditions. Instead, this practice is likely to cause damage to your tires instead of improving your driving ability.
Four-Wheel Drive Is No Substitute for Winter Tires
Overestimating some features of your car while underestimating others can be dangerous, especially during winter weather. Many drivers think that four-wheel or all-wheel drive will provide them with the additional traction they need during winter driving conditions. In reality, four-wheel drive can give traction a boost, but it doesn’t help your car stop or turn corners. To manage these critical driving maneuvers in winter, your car depends on grip, which is something only winter tires can offer.
Winter Tires Aren’t Prohibitively Expensive
Drivers often consider winter tires to be a major expense, but in reality they don’t usually cost more than standard tires. Keep in mind that swapping out your all-season tires for winter tires doesn’t have to break your budget. In fact, giving your all-season tires a break can actually help extend their life. When you put your all-season tires back into place in the spring, they’ll have just as much tread left as they did when you last saw them in the fall.
In Colorado Springs, winter tires are a necessity during the cold months. Don’t hold off until the snow really starts to fall. Get your vehicle outfitted for winter tires at South Colorado Springs Nissan today.
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