Our Expert Automotive Service & Collision Repair Blog

This might be repetitive but we just want to make sure everyone is well informed about the Colorado Traction Law.

It's important to be aware of where traction laws are active as you're traveling, as this can vary from road to road. Each year the state's traction law goes into effect on a 126-mile stretch of I-70 from September 1 to May 31st. The nine-month mandatory traction law extends from Dotsero to Morrison, requiring all vehicles to carry proper winter traction throughout the season, regardless of weather. All other roads and highways are subject to traction laws during severe wintry weather.

In Colorado, it remains that the minimum tread requirement for dry roads is 4/32" (1/8"). Interestingly 1/8" doesn't even meet the classic "penny test" (which detects when your tread is less than 2/32").

Safe driving begins with tires. Automatic emergency braking is a great safety feature but not if your tires are worn out and can’t grip the pavement. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration states only 19% of consumers properly check and inflate their tires. Tires need to be checked on a regular basis for tread depth, wear, pressure and any signs of deterioration. When we perform routine maintenance we check safety items including your tires. Tires are expensive and why wear them out prematurely by ignoring their maintenance. We recommend tire rotation every 2nd oil change. Keeping track of the condition of your tires is critical and a job you don’t have to do alone.

While it doesn’t happen often, getting a flat tire can be a major inconvenience. Being prepared by understanding the basic steps to change a flat can help make an unpleasant experience manageable.

It’s that time of year again.  The ski areas are starting to make snow, the 14ers are turning white again and we couldn’t hold off any longer and had to turn on our furnace.

If you have been keeping up with the scheduled maintenance for your vehicle, it’s ready for winter, but if not, here are a few things you can do to cover the basics.

Why is a wheel alignment important?

Driving on asphalt is like driving on sand paper and you want your wheels to be pointing straight to minimize tread wear.  Misalignment causes the wheels to scuff rather than roll freely. This will affect your steering and suspension, more importantly; it could affect handling and the life of your tires. 

We all know that you need to take special precautions while driving during the winter months.  Here is a quick refresher on some winter driving tips that will help you make it through the season.

Updates: Changes to Colorado Traction Law for the 2019 Winter Driving Season

In December 2014 a winter storm snarled traffic on I70, causing Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to shut down the highway due to poor visibility and multiple spin outs. Two of our employees coming back from Summit County took 9 hours getting to Denver that night. I remember seeing a news clip during this storm of three people pushing a Honda Civic out of the Loveland parking lot with obvious worn out tires.  I said to myself why are they trying to get that car to the highway, were they planning to push it back to town?