Winters in the country can be enjoyable as well as challenging, thanks to the snow! While wintertime means unpacking your woolens, and sitting cosy with a book and coffee, it also means following winter car tire safety tips before you venture outside. Whether you love fiddling with your vehicle or dread it, you must prepare your car for icy or snowy conditions. Let’s look at the ways to do that.

Winter Tires
This is probably the most obvious and the most important of all winter car tire safety tips to follow. It is said that at 45 degrees Fahrenheit, your all-weather tires begin to lose grip and traction. This is one of the reasons experts recommend winter tires. It offers 25%-50% more traction compared to the all-season tires. If your car does not have winter tires, consider installing them. Winter tires can positively affect your driving performance, which plays a critical role in keeping you safe on the icy winter roads. The tread on such tires is important, and so is the air pressure. Make sure you check them often during winter.

Tire Tread is Important
The tread in your car tire is vital to ensure that there is enough grip as you drive. Icy roads and wintery conditions make driving difficult if not dangerous. Luckily, there is a simple trick to know if you need to replace your tires. Take a penny and slip it into one of the groves in your car tire. If you can entirely see the head of President Lincoln, then it is time to replace the tires. Tread depth is vital in determining the vehicle’s safe stopping distance. A lower tread depth will make this distance shorter and more unsafe.

Check Tire Pressure
The air inside the tires supports the car. So, as and when the temperature drops, you will notice that the tire pressure drops too. The correct tire pressure is an important part of the winter car tire safety checklist. Make sure you have a tire pressure gauge available in your car. This will help in keeping the tire pressure at the recommended level (as per car manufacturer’s guidelines)

Tire Rotation is Recommended
Generally, once your car has completed 6,000 miles, you must get your tires rotated. But that can be done earlier if there is uneven wear and tear on the tires. So, every time you get the oil changed in the car, you can ask for a tire rotation. This will help in the maintenance of the tires in your car.

Simple jobs such as a trip to the grocery store or a commute to your child’s school may turn out to be dangerous if your tires are not in good shape. However, the winter car tire safety guidelines above can help you enjoy the season safely.