Traveling by car in winter — safety above all!
The page in the calendar has definitely turned to winter. A white layer of snow began to cover the ground. Shop windows lit up with lights and waving Santa Clauses. Yes, this is definitely the time when we start traveling by car for skiing fun and winter mountain trips. This is also a time when we must especially take care of safety and properly prepare our car for such a trip. To make it a little easier, we have prepared a guide for winter car trips.
Safety is the basis
The topic of security appears in many articles. This is not surprising, because safety is one of the most important elements of travel. The situation is no different when it comes to car journeys, especially those made in winter .
Low temperatures, snow or slush and icy roads make it especially important to have good grip on the road during this period. A good car and careful driving are not everything. You should also remember about good quality winter tires. Each of us chooses solid shoes in winter to avoid slipping, so why shouldn’t we also give them to our car that we use to go on our dream winter trip?
But there’s no snow where I live!
True, you have to agree with this. However, the fact that there is no snow in Gdańsk does not mean that there will be no snow in Zakopane. The situation within 500 kilometers can change dramatically, not to mention the conditions we can find in the Austrian Alps.
Therefore, before each winter car trip, it is essential to check the weather conditions in our destination and prepare for them. Some may say this is overkill, but it’s definitely better to spend some time before than to have a problem during your vacation.
Winter tires are the key to safety when traveling by car in winter
Since winter tires were invented and introduced in 1934, manufacturers have been competing with each other in technology to ensure our safety while traveling. Better grip and more effective snow removal are just some of the elements. But why are winter tires so important anyway?
A winter tire is made of different rubber mixtures, so it does not harden at low temperatures. Additionally, such tires are equipped with specially carved treads and appropriate cuts that enable more effective drainage of water, snow or slush. If that doesn’t appeal to you, maybe research will. As confirmed by the British Tire Manufacturers’ Association, a winter tire shortens the braking distance on snow by as much as half compared to a summer tire.
Skiing in the Alps? You must have winter tires here
In Poland, there is no obligation to change tires to winter ones, but in the countries where we most often go for winter fun, such an obligation already exists .
There is no point in fooling yourself, the Polish mountains are beautiful, but the conditions awaiting skiers in France, Italy and Austria are in a completely different league. Amazing mountains, hundreds of ski slopes, dozens of ski lifts and the entire infrastructure tailored and prepared for the tourist thirsty for white madness. It’s no wonder that Poles flock to these ski resorts, and many of them travel by car.
And here the questions arise. Do I need to change to winter tires? What should the tread be like? Should I buy chains? What else should I take? Do not worry! Below we have collected this information especially for you.
Research shows that Poles are most likely to choose the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Austria and Italy for foreign car trips in winter. Therefore, we will focus on the obligations in these countries.
