There's A New Way To Measure Tire Treads For Winter Driving
ARAPAHOE BASIN, Colo. (CBS4) - Before heading up to the high country in the snow the Colorado Department of Transportation wants drivers to check their tires.
Many drivers have been caught in huge traffic jams because of accidents along Interstate 70, and CDOT says many of those crashes were caused by bald tires.
It used to be Abe Lincoln's head on a penny that was used to measure the proper amount of tread on a tire, but now the new standard is George Washington's head on a quarter. CDOT says anything below 5/32nds of an inch in the tread is unacceptable for winter driving, which means if the top of George's head is visible, new tires are needed.
CDOT found 19 out of the 22 cars involved in accidents on a slick I-70 last February had bald tires. All but one had Colorado plates.
"We know winter, we should know how to drive in it," a driver on I-70 said.
That's why CDOT teamed up with Coloradoland Tire dealers to run a free tire tread check at Arapahoe Basin on Saturday. In just one hour Coloradoland found seven out of 35 cars they checked needed new tires.
Using a tire depth gauge, Troy Dial worked his way around one car. At 4/32nds of an inch, CDOT says that's unsafe for winter. Some people know that and didn't wait for the snow to fall.
"I just think you need to drive to the conditions and drive to your tires' conditions," a woman said. "So I decided to get new tires this year and I'm excited, but last year I did not have good tires."
"We had a vehicle that we actually had to push out of here that had no usable tread left on those tires, and they're heading out onto that pass," Dial said.
The tire check program will be at other ski areas throughout the winter.
LINK: CDOT - Winter Driving