Choosing Winter Tires

Written by Lee Wyatt (last updated May 28, 2010)

Choosing winter tires can be a fairly important decision to make. Not only does someone need to worry about the expense that comes along with purchasing new tires, these are the tires that are going to help keep you safe on the road.

Use these simple guidelines when looking for your next set of snow tires, and you will be able to get the perfect tires you need. In fact, by using these simple guidelines, you know whether or not you even need to purchase snow tires at all.

  1. Tire Size. Look in the owner's manual for your car to find out just what kind of tires you need.
  2. Tread Size. Quite often you will want to use narrower tires when it comes to driving in snow and ice. The narrower tires are better able to create a path through all the slush and snow that comes during the winter.
  3. Type. The best tire for winter driving is a metal studded tire. Unfortunately, these tires are considered illegal in 10 states (meaning you can't use them at all), and only seasonal in about 30 others. Be sure that you know whether you can use them in your state before you purchase them.
  4. Mount. Even if it is more tempting to only get two tires for your car, especially for front wheel drive vehicles, get a full set. Having multiple types of tires will affect how your vehicle handles and it is extremely important during the winter months.
  5. Maintain. Take some time to look at your owner's manual to see what the recommended winter tire pressure is. Remember that your tires are going to lose roughly one psi (pounds per square inch) for every ten degrees that the temperature drops, so check their pressure regularly.

Author Bio

Lee Wyatt

Contributor of numerous Tips.Net articles, Lee Wyatt is quickly becoming a regular "Jack of all trades." He is currently an independent contractor specializing in writing and editing. Contact him today for all of your writing and editing needs! Click here to contact. ...

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