New Tires During the Rainy Season

We are fortunate to enjoy plenty of beautiful weather days here in the Sandpoint area. With that said, it’s certainly not sunny all the time, and we get our share of rain during parts of the year. When you are planning on driving a lot of miles during that rainy season, consider picking out a new set of tires for your vehicle to maintain a firm grip on the road. Taylor & Sons Chevrolet is the perfect place to shop for those new tires!

Why Tires Matter in the Rain

It’s the connection between the rubber of your tires and the road surface that allows you to maintain control over your vehicle. When this connection is solid and there is plenty of friction between the two, it’s easy to accelerate and stop in a controlled manner. It’s when something interferes with this connection that problems can arise.

An obvious example of such interference is when there is ice on the road. On icy roads, your tires can’t get down to the road surface, so the rubber is directly contacting the ice instead – and friction is hard to come by. Most drivers know the helpless feeling of pressing the brakes on an icy road and having the vehicle continue to slide as the tires look for grip.

The situation isn’t as serious in the rain, but the problem is fundamentally the same. The water on the road gets between the tire and the ground, and friction is reduced. When enough water is present, or when you are traveling particularly fast, you can lose grip in a similar manner to when you are driving on ice. Having good tires will help overcome this issue and keep you in control until you reach your destination.

The Problem with Old Tires

It’s the design of tires that allows them to function properly in the rain. Specifically, it’s the grooves that are built into the tread pattern that helps to deal with wet conditions successfully. When you drive in the rain, the water is funneled into those grooves, where it can escape out of the back of the tire as you drive along.

When you drive on old tires, those grooves are not as deep as they once were and the ability of your tires to move water away is compromised. As the tread of the tire is gradually worn away, the grooves shrink and a smaller volume of water can be handled at any one time. If more water is on the road than what your tires can deal with, some of that water is going to remain stuck between the tire and the road, and a hydroplaning effect will occur. This is when you can lose control of the vehicle and find yourself in a dangerous situation.

The simple solution here is to keep track of the treads on your tires and replace those tires when the rubber gets too thin. This is important any time of the year, but it’s particularly important when you know that you’ll be driving in some wet conditions. New tires will significantly improve your footing on the road and you might just find the vehicle more comfortable to drive overall.

Choosing the Right Model

Once you start shopping for a new set of tires for your vehicle, you’ll find that there is an incredible range of models on the market today. It can be quite confusing to pick out the right tires for your car or truck if you don’t have any experience in this industry, or at least a bit of knowledge regarding how tires are marked and sized. This is an important decision, so you want to be sure to get it right the first time.

This is where an expert team like the pros at Taylor & Sons Chevrolet can come in handy. With so much experience in this field and a long history of serving customers throughout the Sandpoint area, you can trust that we will point you in the right direction. We’ll consider not only the make and model of the vehicle that you drive, but also the driving habits and patterns that determine how that vehicle is used. With the right tires selected, we’ll get them installed right away so you can hit the road with confidence once again.

Are Rain and Snow Tires the Same Thing?

There are some similarities between driving in the rain and the snow, such as the need to slow down and increase your following distance. However, tires that are designed for snowy conditions are not exactly the same as tires that will perform well on a regular rainy day. Most of the time, drivers who deal with rain regularly will be served well by a set of quality all-season tires. These will have the tread pattern needed to move plenty of water out of the way, and they are comfortable enough to deal with a variety of conditions throughout the year.

However, if you drive a lot in the winter when the snow is falling, you’ll want to think about adding a set of dedicated snow tires to your collection. This kind of tire has been designed with snow in mind, including a tread pattern that offers ample grip and a rubber compound that stay supple even in low temperatures. Having the right tires for the job at hand will always make driving easier, and snow tires are a welcome upgrade when such conditions are expected.

It’s always a good idea to drive a little extra carefully in the rain, regardless of your tires. Slippery roads can be dangerous even on good tires, so giving other cars extra space and slowing down a bit are smart moves. With that said, quality tires for the rainy season will make you safer on the road, as you’ll be less likely to lose traction at the wrong time. Work with the team here at Taylor & Sons Chevrolet to find the right set of tires for your vehicle. It would be our pleasure to serve you!

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