Traction Tires

I must confess that the recent ice storms in the East have been of great entertainment value for me. I chuckle every time I see an un-witting driver take on Mother Nature with all the wrong equipment. And I chuckle every time I place an order from the East Coast and the first words out of their mouth are: “We’ve had a big ice storm…”, as if that’s some sort of valid excuse for extending delivery time. After all, where do you think these storms come from? That’s right, the West Coast. We get to see them first. We’ve already weathered the storm by the time it makes it back East.

Winter travel is not a difficult thing -- IF you prepare for it. Come to the table un-prepared and you’ll make the evening news every time. But the good news is that preparing yourself is not all that bloody difficult.

First, take your watch off. Turn off the clock in your car and SLOW DOWN. I promise you that if you just slow down you’ll actually get there more quickly than if you don’t.

Second, go get yourself a good pair of all season radials and ask the dealer to “sipe” them before putting them on your vehicle. You can use these tires all year long, which means you’ll never be caught off guard if Mother Nature happens to sneak up on you. And your tires will actually last longer than if you don’t sipe them.

Siped tires actually work better than any traction tires I’ve ever owned. For years I went through the ritual of changing my tires from winter to summer; and I almost always miscalculated by at least one storm. But with siped all-season radials I’m ALWAYS equipped for the worst Mother Nature has to throw at me. And they actually work BETTER than the studded tires I’ve used in the past.

Siped tires will give you traction you never dreamed possible. But don’t take that as an excuse to travel in any weather – or to speed. And just because you have traction doesn’t mean you won’t make the evening news. There’s no shortage of folks out there that don’t read my tips, and no shortage of folks trying to drive without the proper equipment. So, if it’s an option, just stay home and wait for the weather to pass.