• Traveling on snowy roads sometimes requires chains.mountain road with fog image by Radoslav Stoilov from Fotolia.com
  
  Driving through Colorado's Rocky Mountains can be a tricky business even in fair, sunny weather. When the highways are icy and snowy, it compounds the potential for skidding or crashing, especially for drivers unfamiliar with winter conditions. Snow chains are an essential tool to have available when conditions require their use. Snow chains can be a deciding factor in keeping you and your loved ones safe on the road.
  
  

Conditions

• A snow emergency is announced by the Colorado Department of Transportation when major sections of roads, such as the I-70 mountain highway from Denver to Grand Junction, is covered with snow or ice, and bare pavement is no longer exposed. When snow chain restrictions are in place, signs are placed along the road, and electronic displays are used to communicate the conditions and necessary steps to take to prevent weather-related crashes.
  
  

Chains

• According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, proper snow chains must possess at least nine cross links and must be applied to all four tires. In some conditions, drivers only need to have snow tires or cables to navigate the roads. However, when a chains-only restriction is in effect, the only vehicles that can avoid using chains are four-wheel drive vehicles that have the four-wheel drive engaged.
  
  

Commercial Vehicles

• Commercial vehicles have two potential levels of chain requirements applied to them. When Level 1 is in effect, all single-axle commercial vehicles must employ snow chains, and all other commercial vehicles must at least have proper snow tires in use. Level 2 requires that all commercial vehicles, including trucks and buses, must have snow chains installed. Truckers can only remove these chains when they encounter bare pavement on a declining road.
  
  

Consequences

• Should a driver of either a commercial or noncommercial vehicle ignore snow chain requirements, he can be fined at least $500. Should his vehicle block or otherwise hamper the normal flow of traffic because of the refusal to employ snow chains, the fine can grow to as much as $1,000. The Colorado Department of Transportation provides detailed explanation of the various laws and regulations concerning snow chains in the "Chain Up Tips" pamphlet available from the CDOT office or website.