Does it seem as though your car just isn’t getting around as well during this McHenry winter? Why would that change? After all, it’s the same car, right?

Actually, there is a very good reason that your car’s ability to negotiate the roads in the winter would change and you can trace the problem to where the rubber meets the road.

It’s all about tire tread. With good tire tread, your tires have a better chance of gripping the road even when you’re dealing with rain, snow or ice on the pavement. As you drive your car, the tires slowly shed tread. The depth of the tread shrinks. The ability of the tires to provide adequate traction shrinks with the tread.

As your tire tread shrinks you’ll want to increase the level of caution you apply when driving. This is particularly true when there are slippery conditions on the road. You’ll want to increase the distance you give the car ahead of you while driving. You’ll also want to increase your vigilance in watching for potential hazards while driving.

If someone pulls out in front of you do you have room to stop? This stopping distance is affected by the speed of the vehicle, the condition of the roads and the condition of the tires. If you’re going too fast, on a slippery road and with bad tires, you’re liable to find that it takes quite a distance to bring the car to a stop.

Badly worn tires will also affect your car’s ability to get going in slippery conditions. This means that, if there’s ice on the road, and you’re pulling away from a traffic signal, with badly worn tires, you’re liable to find the people behind you getting impatient because your car isn’t moving when the light turns green, even though you’re depressing the accelerator. Those old tires simply won't grab as well as new tires.

With badly worn tires, if you get into a snowdrift, it’s more likely that your car will get stuck. You'll find yourself wishing you had new tires.

The solution to this problem is to replace worn tires with quality new tires. This is a good idea any time of the year but all the more so during a McHenry winter.

You’ll probably want to put a good All-Season tire on your car. An All-Season tire is good for, well, all seasons. It rides well in the summer and gives reasonable traction in the winter. Another option, if you’re so inclined, is to have a set of tires for the summer and switch them with another set of tires for the winter.

In this case, you’ll want to buy a good set of snow tires for the winter. When spring arrives, you simply bring the car in and have your summer set of tires installed and balanced. When summer wanes, and before the roads get slick, bring the car back in and have your snow tires put back on the car. But, however you do it, new tires can make a big difference in your driving experience.