By Tresa Erickson

“What are you going to all of that trouble for?” your sister demands to know after she hears you making an appointment with a service station to have your tires inspected. Unlike your sister who lives in the Sunshine State, you live up north, where winters can be harsh. In order to ensure you get where you need to this winter, you are having your vehicle winterized, starting with the tires.

Good tires can make all of the difference on treacherous winter roads. In order to prepare your vehicle for the rough weather ahead, you must make sure your tires are properly inflated. Tires lose about a psi of air pressure every month and every time the air temperature drops about 10 degrees. Vehicles with under-inflated tires do not handle well, especially on icy roads. They also increase wear and tear and use more gas (and who needs that with the price of gas these days).

If your vehicle is brand new, you may not have to worry much about the tire pressure. It probably came equipped with a tire pressure monitor that will inform you when the pressure has dropped below a certain point. If you have an older vehicle, you will definitely need to keep an eye on the tire pressure and have your tires checked regularly.

You also need to keep an eye on the tread depth. The more worn and shallow the tread on your tires, the less grip you will have on the road. Depending upon where you live and how treacherous the roads become in the winter, you might want to consider switching to winter tires. Designed specifically for icy roads, these will provide you with superior grip. Keep in mind that you will need to replace all four tires. Should you do just the back two, you will compromise your grip and your safety. To ensure this does not happen, some tire dealers refuse to sell consumers fewer than four tires, unless they need a single replacement winter tire.

It is important that you winterize your vehicle. Start with the tires and work your way up. The better prepared your car is for winter, the safer you will be when out and about.