Winter Safety Tips: Checking Your Tires In Buffalo's Snow

As we inch deeper into winter in Western New York, we have been dealing with quite a bit of cold and snowy weather. From a few lake effect snowstorms and a polar vortex hitting the Buffalo area in early January to a more than 1,000-mile-wide storm that is impacting a big swath of the United States, winter is back with a vengeance.

Dealing with cold, snow, and ice is one of those things that we do in the Buffalo area quite well. While we have some issues from time to time with getting the streets clear, the people who call the 716 home are a hearty bunch who can deal with just about anything. You have several areas of the nation panicking at the idea that they will get hit with 6-12 inches of snow, but those of us in 'upstate' New York just happen to treat it like any given Sunday.

You could see that exact thing over the last few days, as New York State goes into a State of Emergency due to this huge storm coming, there were people all over Western New York just going about their day like it was no big deal. And while there is a travel advisory in effect asking drivers to limit unnecessary driving, most folks are just outside on the roads doing their thing, but there is one group of people in the Empire State who really need to just go sit down somewhere.

This Is Not The Time To Be Driving Around Western New York With Bald Tires

While I was out on the road this weekend, I saw plenty of people out living life, driving right along with me. However, I saw several people struggling to get around town, and they all had one thing in common: bald tires.

If there is one thing that we know in Buffalo, it's that winter is coming. It comes every year and dumps around 100 inches of snow on us, and yes, it never fails that you will see someone with tires baldier than Larry David's head trying to drive down Route 5, the 400, the 219, or the 290.

While New York State has tons of rules that are just plain ridiculous, the rules around legal car tires are pretty important. According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, for your tires to be considered legal for the road, they have to meet the following requirements:

Tread depth— must be at least 2/32 inch when measured in two adjacent major tread grooves showing the most wear
Tire condition— check for any fabric break or cut over the length or width of 1 inch, visible bumps, bulges or knots, and any restricted use designation on the tire
Tire pressure—if the vehicle's tire pressure is not within the manufacturer's recommendation, you will be informed. This is an advisement only and not cause for rejection.

If you know your tires are right, this is not the time for you to try to make a run to the store for a 6-pack. You can be safe this winter with all the great tire shops around the region. So, don't go sliding around Western New York; get the right tires you need today.