Snow. It's beautiful and fun to play in but it can also cause some pretty treacherous driving conditions. Everything from slick, icy roads to snow packed highways can be a real danger if you and your vehicle are not properly prepared for the loss of traction that you experience under such conditions. Living where it snows, winter tires are a must. The type of winter tires that you get depends a lot of where you live. If you live in an area that receives most rain and only trace amounts of snow, rain tires would probably be sufficient. However, if you live in an area that receives a moderate to large amount of snow then a good set of snow tires are in your future. There are varying types of snow tires, depending on your vehicle type and whether you plan on staying in the city or going off road, but all are specifically designed to handle the colder temperatures and improve traction. In the past many tire manufactures produced studded tires . While they work well on ice and do provide additional traction they wreak havoc on the roads. The small metal heads dig into the roads creating rivets that when it rains create the risk of hydroplaning. For this reason many states have placed bans or severe restrictions on the use of studded tires. There are occasions, while driving through winter conditions, when you need more traction than your tires can provide. This is where chains come in. Available in all tire sizes, chains slip easily over your tires to give you additional grip. The most important thing to watch out for with chains is your speed. Driving in excess of 30mph with chains will not only damage your chains but possible your tires and your vehicle. If you find yourself putting chains on your tires more than a couple times a week, perhaps you should consider something like Spikes Spiders . They are the same concept as chains but are much faster and easier to install. When it comes to driving in the snow and the ice traction is everything. It is what will keep you on the road and out of snow drifts and it will help you stop more quickly and with better control. Avoiding an accident is a hard thing to do in these conditions but by doing everything you can to improve your traction and make your car winter safe will make a big difference.