Are you thinking about a skiing trip, and considering hiring a car? If the skiing trip you are thinking about is going to be in Europe then the car needs to have winter tyres fitted on them. Even if the trip is taking place in UK, check that the car that is being used is fitted with winter tyres.

Tyre manufacturers now use advances techniques of making winter tyres. Now, the winter tyres that are on the market have softer rubber used in them. This allows the tyre to get firm traction on the road surface. When cars were mostly rear wheel driven most customers thought that using winter tyres on the rear wheels was sufficient to provide the necessary traction on icy and snow covered roads. Also, nowadays some people feel that front wheel driven cars only need winter tyres on the front wheels. Both these beliefs are incorrect!

All four tyres of the car need to have winter tyres fitted. Also, the tread, dimension, and condition of the winter tyres should be similar. As much as traction is needed on wet and slippery roads, so is the capability to apply the brakes. When brakes are applied, all the four wheels are forced to halt, and if one or two tyres are not the same then the car can get out of control. The explanation is that the brake pressure will not be even.

Temperatures in winter can lower suddenly and the weather can be very random. So, nobody wants to get trapped on the road with defective tyres. Remember, clearing snow off the road takes time and all the roads do not get cleared of snow and ice at once. So why take a risk? Just being cautious on the outset can save a lot of headaches later on. More incidents occur in winters than in summers, so being careful always helps.

Tell the company you are getting the car from where you are going to spend your skiing vacation and make sure that the car they are going to provide you is fitted with winter tyres. When picking the car up, ensure all the tyres are winter tyres and are in similar conditions. If you are not sure of the tyres, it is a good idea to take the car to a tyre shop and get their opinion. Now what some people usually forget the spare tyre. Check that also, and make sure it is also a winter tyre.

Talk to any tyre shop mechanic regarding the tyre pressure to be maintained, and ensure that the needed tyre pressure is maintained. Look at the tyres pressure regularly as the higher you go the more rarefied the air gets. Winter tyres appear a little thinner than summer tyres, and this is a result of their having a wider traction and not because they are under filled.

Many ski resorts are on subsidiaries of the main roads, and the chances of having to drive on snow covered and ice topped roads is very high. With the correct tyres there will be no issues during driving on these road surfaces, and odds of the car going out of control or skidding will be removed.

In addition to the tyres, it is also important to check that the car’s brakes are in ideal condition. A slight tap on slippery surfaces with faulty brakes can result in the car going out of control. So, do examine the brakes. When driving on icy or snow covered roads, use the gear to slow down and maintain traction. Use the brakes as little as possible.