Tire Chains / Laws / Use, Road Closings, etc... (Denver, Vail: ski resorts, buy)

[driven4agoodlife]

Excuse my ignorance, but being from the midwest, we don't really need or use tire chains here.

I understand what they are, and on a recent trip out to CO, I even got to help put a set on so a little 4x4 ranger so it could drive back into the woods and pull out a Mountaineer that had slid off the road/trail.

When it comes to driving, what is the law regarding tire chains, and when it is in effect, what does that mean to me as a driver?
And for the ladies out there, what do you do? Do you learn to put them on yourself or are there people at certain checkpoints that help? I ask because I have a female friend that will probably be moving out to Denver soon as well, she drives a Jeep.

When it's time to put the chains on, do you just pull over anywhere to the side and put em on? Do you then later pull over and take em off?

Do you use chains on cars out there too, or just trucks?

Are they ever needed down around the city/suburbs?

I noticed many roads have gates and I assume are closed during various times of severe snow. I also saw signs that say how steep fines are when the tire change law is in effect. Are roads with gates closed to all traffic when the gates oare down, and other times just closed to anyone without chains, or what? How do you when the law is "in effect" ?

How do you normally deal with roads being closed when you need to go somewhere? I assumne it's just part of life nad you don't get to where you need to go, but I guess I am looking for how you learn to adapt when you live there in regards to daily life, and potentially work.

I will need to go the airport fairly often, if I am in one of the surrounding Denver burbs will I likely have any issues that will keep me from getting to the airport due to road closings or tire chain laws?

[tfox]

I could be wrong, but I don't think there's any laws requiring private vehicles to use chains at any time. CDOT will often require commercial vehicles to use chains, and signs will be clearly posted to that effect. CDOT provides chain-up areas on I-70 and other mountain roads for vehicles to pull over and chain up.

It's a good idea to carry chains in your vehicle and know how to put them on and remove them. You may actually get a chance to use them once in a great while, depending on how adventurous you are in the mountains in winter. They are useful in emergency situations, when you are caught in heavy snowfall and are a long way from help. (This usually would occur in the mountains) Plus, it's not a bad idea to follow the truckers' lead and chain up when going over mountain passes during heavy snowfall, though few private vehicles ever do.

That said, it's pretty unlikely that you'll ever use chains in Metro Denver. Main roads and highways are generally cleared quickly, and once they are cleared you won't actually want to use the chains on the bare road surface as it could damage your vehicle.

[driven4agoodlife]

Ah so those signs only apply to commerical vehicles... good to know, but I think I'd still keep a set with me since I do plan on driving in the mountains from time to time and it's better to be prepared just in case and never have to need them than to not be prepared and only need them once

Thanks for the response!

[robertzimmerman]

Originally Posted by tfox

I could be wrong, but I don't think there's any laws requiring private vehicles to use chains at any time.

You are wrong. There are times (not a lot, but still) when the chain law is in effect for everyone and every vehicle. Vail Pass comes to mind.

Having said that, I don't believe that in 30ish years of living in Denver that it's ever been true in town (maybe that monster blizzard in 1982, but I don't think so).

[CherryMagic]

I have a Tacoma 4x4 w/stock tires, and had no problem with driving in snow/ice on my recent trip.
I've had 2 Jeeps (Cherokee & Liberty) and I wouldn't trust them to do what my Taco can do....but that's just my .02 cents.

And big snaps to the Colorado DOT.....they are so efficent on sanding (no salt) the roads.
I was truely impressed.

[jkashg]

I have a 4WD Sequoia (P265/65/R17 tires) and plan to go skiing this weekend. I know they often institute a chain requirement for the tunnel area. Looking at a couple stores there are a ton of options. Can anyone make sense of it all and provide a suggestion on type I should buy today?

THANKS!

[denverkid]

4WD passenger vehicles are not subject to Colorado "chain" laws as long as they have at least 1/8th inch of tread left on their tires and all 4 wheels are engaged when "chain" laws are in effect. For non-4WD cars the "chain" laws does not necessarily mean chains are required. In most circumstances, "chains" means either snow tires, studded tires, or chains.

Also, if you're talking about general driving on I-70, the passenger vehicle chain law don't often come into play as the chain laws do not apply to bare pavement and I-70 is usually plowed pretty well. Also, chain laws only apply to going uphill, so if you're driving back to Denver it's not a big concern. Here's a CDOT document of Colorado chain laws if you want to read them:

http://www.dot.state.co.us/rules/601..._Law-Dec02.pdf

I now have a 4WD SUV, but from age 16-26 I drove a 1993 Toyota Celica. I regularly drove it up to the mountains to go skiing and snowshoeing and I never used (or owned) chains, and I never had a problem.

My advice: Only get chains if you plan on going on winter adventures deep into the mountains. If you're just hitting ski resorts and trailheads on or near paved highways, 4WD or snow tires on non-4WD cars is fine. That said, it's a good idea to keep some extra clothes, a blanket, a collapsible shovel, and some kitty litter in your car just in case.

[Mike from back east]

Tons more info in this older thread about tire chains.

[karpiel]

Originally Posted by denverkid

Also, chain laws only apply to going uphill, so if you're driving back to Denver it's not a big concern.

Wait, what?