These Tires Should Be Off Your Car By April 30 or Pay a Fine

You have to have them and if they are not in tip-top shape they can cause you trouble. What are they? Your tires.

When you get your car inspected every year, tires are also a part of that inspection. Here is what the specs are for your tires to pass inspection, from the NYS DMV:

"tire treads must be at least 2/32 inch when measured in two adjacent major tread grooves showing the most wear."

So what do you need to do to your tires by April 30 or you could receive a fine and a mandatory surcharge? If you have studded snow tires on your car you need to swap them out and put your non-winter tires back on your car.

The studded tires can be on your car from October 1 through April 30 each year in New York State. Is there a plus to having or riding on studded tires in our area? Probably not as the Hudson Valley does not usually see a considerable amount of ice each winter.

Are studded tires good to have on your car in winter? Yes, if you get a decent amount of snow and ice. What about snow tires? The ones without the studs? Let me just preface this by saying this is my understanding of what has been explained to me,  the rubber used in the non-studded snow tires is a touch softer than regular all-seasons. This slightly softer rubber allows for more grip on snowy surfaces. I am sure that there is a more technical explanation.

Do you use snow tires during the winter? When do you put them on your car? When do you take them off? Have you ever used the studded version? Do you think that there are pro's and con's to running them on your car?