By Jason Lancaster

Winter tires are one of the most important components on your vehicle when it comes to protecting you and your passengers from icy or snow-packed roads. Snow chains, snow tires, and studded winter tires are all options that can make your driving experience safer during a dangerous winter. However, before you run out and buy a new set of Blizzaks or studded snows, there are three things you need to think about.

1. How much does it snow in your town? Many people living in North America are fortunate enough to experience infrequent snow storms. In many areas, there may only be a handful of snow storms, and if this describes your situation, a decent set of snow tires (and perhaps a second set of wheels to mount them on) are all you need. Investing in chains or studded tires likely isn’t warranted if the winters in your area are relatively mild.

On the other hand, you may live in an area where a large amount of snow can fall at the drop of a hat. If that’s the case, you want to think about investing in tire chains in addition to snow tires. Chains are incredibly helpful in deep snow, and they also perform well on icy roads. However, unlike studded tires, they can be removed when not needed.

Finally, if you live in an area where the snow falls and doesn’t melt until spring, you want to think about studded tires. They are the best option available for icy roads, but they’re overkill unless your roads are always icy.

2. What are other drivers doing? If you’ve moved to a new city, you may not know what to expect in terms of winter driving. In this case, it’s a good idea to ask your co-workers and neighbors about what they do for winter driving. In Denver, for example, most people just make sure their car has a good set of all-season tires and call it a day. Residents of Kansas City need snow tires, however, so it’s best to ask around.

3. What works best for your vehicle? If you have a pickup truck or real-wheel drive vehicle, a set of snow tires or even studded snow tires may be a necessity. Pickup trucks tend to slip and slide around a bit more than cars, and rear-wheel drive cars can be hard to maneuver in icy conditions, so studded tires are a good investment.

Conversely, many new cars can’t be fitted with tire chains without special considerations. Therefore, you also need to consider what works best for your specific car, truck, or SUV before you buy anything…and be sure to check your vehicle owner’s manual before buying chains.

In a perfect world, you’d buy a spare set of snow tires mounted on their own set of wheels, with a set of tire chains as a back-up. However, you don’t need to go all out to be safe. You can always make arrangements to stay home if and/or when conditions become treacherous.

Author Information

Jason Lancaster has written extensively about automotive accessories and safety and is a regular contributor to www.ToyotaPartsBlog.com, a website chock full of Toyota maintenance tips.