Winter weather tough on drivers but good for business

A coat of fresh snow created messy road conditions around Idaho Falls today.

“We see anything from slid-offs to roll-overs and a lot of little fender benders. Typically we probably run betweenfive andseven calls a day. When the weather dumps like this we’re running 20 to 25 calls a day.” said Ron Matthews, owner of JR Towing.

Snow may be a hassle if you have to hit the road, but most businesses don’t mind the harsh weather.

“Yeah, snow tends to bring in business. We see a lot of problems with brakes coming in, and lots of people have slid into curbs and we have to reset their alignment,” said Tel Carter, a technician at Meineke Car Care Center.

Carter said batteries are the biggest problem in cold winter weather, especially if you have an older car. Besides getting regular maintenance done on your car, Carter said good snow tires are key for winter driving.

“You want to make sure you have good traction all the way around. You want to make sure your coolant is good. A lot of times, we test coolant that’s good to negative 40 and that’s good, but sometimes we see coolant that’s only good to negative 10, because it’ll freeze overnight in these negative 20 below zero nights,” said Carter.

A quick tune-up on your car could save you thousands of dollars and keep you from needing a tow.
The Idaho Department of Transportation requires studded snow tires to be removed after April 30.