What about studded winter tires? They are allowed in California from November 1 to April 30 of each year. Meanwhile, studded tires are allowed throughout the state. Studded winter tires are not considered tire traction devices and should not be used in place of chains. Section 605 of the California Vehicle Code defines tire traction devices as follows: “Tire traction devices are devices or mechanisms whose composition and design are capable of improving the traction, braking, and cornering ability of the vehicle on snowy or ice-covered surfaces. Tyre traction devices must be designed and installed in such a way as to ensure sufficient structural integrity and to prevent accidental detachment of vehicles. At the time of manufacture or final assembly, tyre traction devices shall bear a permanent imprint indicating the name, initials or brand of the installer or main manufacturer and the country in which the equipment was manufactured or finally assembled. I think that opened up the discussion about how to arm ourselves with the latest traction technology: tire socks. Narcotic! I was towing a Jaguar 37 over a pass in Montana when I was forced to try on car socks. I lost traction and couldn`t continue. I put them on and left without slipping! I arrived semi after semi stuck WITH chains! Now it`s a 95 Dodge Cummins 2wd, about the worst in the snow. I am also sitting in a wheelchair. Putting regular channels would have been almost impossible. The socks slipped directly on the tires. After about 20 miles on them, they look good.

I was skeptical but thought it was my best option for easy installation. Impressive! Now I am a true believer! I buy them for everyone for Christmas! AutoSock sells them for large trucks and cars, but you need to know the size of your specific tires to order. And I believe their website said that the top speed with a car wearing tire socks is 30 miles per hour — but you might want to check that detail again when you get it for your car. (I keep thinking how good they would be for ice fishing.) A few things about tire socks: If you install tire socks in California, Caltrans will point you in as you walk through the checkpoints. As I mentioned earlier, they really have something against these things. In fact, a guy told us they would get ripped off when we got to the top, but we couldn`t believe it because he also told us we still had 3,000 feet to climb at that time, which would have brought us to 9,000 feet. The highest we get is on the top (Thunder Pass), which is 7,000 feet, so it was oh. just 2,000 feet away. This is a big difference in this situation! I had a friend who lived in Reno and worked at Squaw who drove his GTI with snow socks all winter. He told me that he had never had any problems with them.

I have never used them myself, so I cannot testify. What I can say, however, is that a good set of winter tires will do wonders compared to all-season tires and chains. There are always new and improved devices on the market. Just make sure they are approved by the Department of Transportation before you buy them. As for snow socks, I`ve looked and I don`t see any DOT approval for them and they currently only seem to be approved in European countries. The instructions in your tire chain kit will give you step by step. However, if you`re a visual learner, YouTube has some great tutorials that are easy to follow. Yes. You must wear tire chains in your vehicle from November 1 to April 30, whether you use them or not. If CalTrans requires channel restrictions, you must comply with the channel requirements. See question 12 on chain control levels.

Caltrans was clearly not a fan of socks when we passed, saying that the only reason they were legal was because “someone soiled the pockets of politicians.” I don`t know exactly what that means or how it works, but two separate caltrans types told us the same thing, almost word for word. I ask myself: are they trained to say this? I`m already skeptical after they convinced us last week to buy $300 in chains. I don`t know. I have nothing against chains, especially since I know how to install them now. But honestly? They are painful. They are heavy, they are difficult to tighten and they can fall.