Getting vehicles ready for winter

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – More snow on the way means more driving headaches.

As the winter weather continues to hit, some people may be thinking about trading in their regular tires for snow tires. Heather Bash from Joe Buckey Tire said that while many vehicles now come equipped with all-terrain tires or four-wheel drive, there are still benefits to changing to snow tires during the winter months.

“They have little tiny grooves in them that help grip the road,” said Bash. “It helps grip the road in the snow and the ice, it also evacuates that so that if you’re driving in slush it’s got little V’s to help push all that out so that it doesn’t pack up in your tires.”

Bash said even if people don’t want to change the tires on their vehicles it is important to check on the tread and air pressure of the tires. She said it’s also important to keep the gas tank full and be prepared in case of getting stranded.

“You definitely want to check your antifreeze and make sure you have plenty of oil, don’t let your car run low on gas, making sure you have plenty of fuel in there, it’s not good for your car to run low on gas,” said Bash. “Make sure you have blankets in there, ice scrapers, all that stuff just in case you do get stranded as well. ”

Bash said while they aren’t as common anymore, people with studded snow tires on their vehicles need to make sure to remove them by April 15th.