Our kind editor-in-chief Rory Carroll messaged me last week to ask what I know about winter driving and snow tires. I admitted that I knew “little to nothing.” And that is how it was decided that I would be the perfect writer to test out some Blizzaks at Bridgestone’s Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, CO. I’m going to document my journey, and I want to know what you want to know.
Now, I don’t want to make this sound like I’ve never seen a single snow in all my life. I grew up in Michigan, and I took driver’s training in a superbly blizzard-y January. I then remained in Michigan until I graduated high school, so I had a few winters of preparation.
But I never did a lot of things behind the wheel in the winter. My commute to school was about 10 minutes, and the roads were usually plowed by the time I got in. In fact, I could even take the back roads safely. I went on the highway in the snow exactly once, and for a mere handful of minutes. I doubt I ever exceeded 35 mph. And when the weather was really bad, I’d usually just take the bus.
I moved to Texas when I was 18, and despite living in Philadelphia and visiting my husband in Canada, I have not driven in the snow much since. If the weather was gross, I just stayed home or made my husband chauffeur me around. And even then, I’d be driving a grand total of ten minutes twice a week to get groceries or go to school. Now that I’m back in Texas, I even try to avoid driving if it rains because it gets a little scary.
So going very fast and testing out some tires seems like it’s going to be absolutely, totally fine. Nothing to be worried about. Nope. Not at all.
Before I hit the road next week, I want to know what you fine readers want to know. Do you have questions about Bridgestone’s tire lineup (because I’m going to get to sample Blizzaks and all-seasons in the same school)? Do you want to know details about the school itself? Or are you looking for a Texan to recount her winter weather misadventures? I am here to provide.