Is your car ready for the snow? A new round of snow puts focus on tire prep
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - It wasn't a whole lot of accumulation, but Sunday was the first time Southern Colorado drivers had to face off against snow and ice on the roadways.
Many seemed unprepared as crashes shut down Fillmore Street, parts of I-25 north of Monument, and caused some drivers to pull over and turn on the hazard lights.
"We've definitely seen an increase in traffic. After that first couple dustings of snow, people were sliding around on the roads a little bit," Theo Gonzales, general manager at South CO Tires, said that's motivated people to come in and get new tires.
Gonzales, who's been working with South CO Tires for almost a decade, said this trend has been consistent every year. The first snow comes, and people realize they might need new tires.
"We hear I got my tire lights on. A couple of my tires are low. Can you check, take a look at it?" Gonzales said this year, especially with the late snow, people have been putting off switching to snow tires as long as they could.
RELATED COVERAGE: Do your tires meet Colorado’s updated traction laws?
But this year, Gonzales has heard a different reason for coming in for new tires.
"They have had people come in and tell them that they have to have certain kinds of severe snow ratings on their tires, which we do sell. It's, triple peak snow rating, and it just says that they're ready for severe snowstorms," Gonzales said.
That's part of the updated traction law, which went into action back in May. What this means is that if conditions get bad enough, CDOT can enact extra traction regulations via roadside signs. That extra traction looks like this:
All Wheel Drive (AWD) or 4-wheel drive (4WD) drivers would be required to have a mud and snow (M+S) icon and 3/16" tread depth. Another option is AWD/4WD cars with winter tires that have a mountain-snowflake icon and 3/16" tread depth. AWD/4WD vehicles with an all-weather rating by the manufacturer and 3/16-inch tread depth are allowed under this law, according to CDOT. Chains or another kind of approved alternative traction device would also work.
But if your tires fail, help will be available.
Randy's Mountain Towing told KRDO13 that for all-day snow events, like what's expected on Wednesday, they have all hands on deck. Interestingly enough, however, the company said they actually see a decrease in civilian calls during snow events, because a lot of people stay at home.
While that area sees a decrease, the company does see a big increase in emergency calls from law enforcement agencies.
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