Snow tires are a great idea with the inevitable McHenry winter approaching

Maybe it won’t snow this winter and maybe the White Sox still have a shot at the playoffs (if you haven’t been paying attention, the White Sox are in last place in the American League Central Division 31.5 games out of first place, as of Sept. 16, and, with 15 games to play, that’s a mathematical impossibility). So, let’s accept the inevitable; it will snow in McHenry this winter and you will drive in the snow … and ice.

There are things you can and should do to adjust to winter driving that includes snow. If you have a pickup, SUV or a car, with rear-wheel drive, you can put some bags of salt in the back so the weight will help give you more traction. Most importantly, you can adjust the way you drive. Another option to consider, if you’re determined to lessen the hazards of driving in the snow, is to put some snow tires on your car, SUV or pickup.

Driving with snow tires doesn’t mean you can ignore the snow: that your car will tame the roads as though it’s the middle of summer. But, it does mean that you’ll have an edge when dealing with snowy and icy roads. Drive with reasonable caution and snow tires will help. Of course, even if you have all-weather tires, if they have more tread on them, that will help. The difference that snow tires make is significant, though.

Have you ever seen a car, SUV or pickup truck stuck on an icy incline? The tires aren’t buried in snow but the car, SUV or pickup truck just won’t move. It sits there with the tires spinning. This scenario is far-less likely if the vehicle has a good set of tires on the corners. And, it’s even less likely with a set of snow tires.

The immutable fact is that, with snow tires, you car, SUV or pickup truck will accelerate faster and brake faster. They make a huge difference. The point is not to overdrive your snow tires. Slippery surfaces are slippery surfaces even when you have a good set of snow tires on your vehicle.

We’ve all seen that 4X4 pickup truck stuck in a snowbank along the side of Route 31 near McHenry. It’s not hard to imagine how they got there.

With four-wheel drive, a driver will notice that his pickup truck, or SUV, digs into the snow and accelerates better. They forget that four-wheel drive doesn’t have a significant effect on braking. The acceleration is deceptive and they fail to drive with sufficient caution. They overdrive their vehicle and lose control.

You can find yourself in the same situation if you misjudge the benefits of your snow tires. But, if you put snow tires on your car, SUV or pickup truck, and drive with due caution, you will probably never face another McHenry winter without snow tires. And, keep in mind, you can always change back to all-weather tires in the Spring and put the snow tires back on next fall.

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