BOISE, IDAHO — The population of Ada County has grown by 32% over the last 12 years. That is well over 100,000 people and many of those people came from areas that really just don't have snow. So today, we're asking if you know how to put chains on your tires if you had to. All of the following quotes are from Idaho Transportation Department Community Outreach Coordinator Matt Kreizenbeck.
"The purpose of chains is to provide better traction and snowy and icy conditions."
"It's important to have tire chains and to know how to properly put them on. If you're searching for that Christmas tree and get stuck, chains are potentially going to be able to get you out of that situation that you're in."
"The most important thing when putting these on getting them untangled. So once we have them untangled, we can lay them on the ground."
"Chains are important to have in your car. The weather in the valley might be great, might be sunny. Roads are clear. You go to the mountains and run into a snowstorm and lots of snow.
If you're traveling at all, it's definitely recommended to have them with you just in case."
"And then we're going to pull the chain around the tire, make sure the chain is centered well on the tire."
"Another important thing is finding appropriate size tire chains for your tire. Match the chains with your tire size and then practice how to put them on. If it's snowy and cold and icy, you're not going to want to spend a lot of time outside trying to learn how to put tire chains on. So practicing in your driveway at home before you take that road trip will just leave you better prepared for your trip."
"So at this point, after your chains are on the tire, what you wanna do is pull forward and then get back out and retention your chains by taking this off and pulling it tight and reattaching."
"Do not use tire chains on pavement. It will wear the chain out can cause damage, will damage the roadway. So only on snow and snow and ice."
