You’re heading up to the mountains for the weekend and a storm hits. A sign flashes across the roadway: chains required ahead. Uh-oh. Chain control isn’t something you can bypass or ignore. If your car can’t make it over the snowy, icy roads safely, you’re not going anywhere.
Most chain-control checkpoints require you to have either a four-wheel-drive vehicle with adequate snow tires or chains properly installed. If you have 4WD but no snow tires, prepare to chain up. Some states require by law that you carry tire chains in your car if you’re driving in snow country—whether you have 4WD or not. Other states that don’t regularly have wintry conditions prohibit the use of chains because they can damage roads if used when they’re not needed. So check your state’s chain law before you head into snowy or icy conditions. We called up Steve Nelson, public information officer for the California Department of Transportation, for advice on what you need to know before chaining up.