CDOT and ColoradoLand Work Together to Promote Tire Safety

December 18, 2014 - Statewide Transportation Plan - Operation TireSafe Launches First Tire Check.

STATEWIDE – Tires are your lifeline in a vehicle. On a single day last winter, 86 percent of the vehicles assisted one day that caused accidents and delays had worn tires. To make sure motorists know the importance of having good tires, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and ColoradoLand Tire and Service will conduct the first tire check of Operation TireSafe this weekend at Arapahoe Basin.

Part of the Change Your Peak Drive campaign, Operation TireSafe encourages motorists to check their tire tread and make sure their tires are winter ready. The tire check at Arapahoe Basin will occur Saturday, Dec. 20, in the plaza where representatives from ColoradoLand will be on-hand, providing information about tire safety and conducting voluntary checks to let people know if their tires are safe for mountain travel. In addition to the check at Arapahoe Basin, ColoradoLand will conduct a visual tire check at the CDOT Dinosaur Lots off I-70 and Morrison Road.

“We’re telling Coloradans: tread yourself before you wreck yourself,” said Amy Ford, Director of Communications for CDOT. “We want every driver in the state to take the Quarter Test and see if their tires will meet the state chain law standard of a minimum one-eighth inch tread. If your tires are below that mark, they’re worn and you need new tires to keep yourself and others safe on our roadways.

To encourage drivers to invest in safe tires, CDOT is partnering with ColoradoLand and other tire companies throughout the state to provide deals on a set of new tires. Visit winter.codot.gov/tires to see all participating tire partners and their discounts, as well as learn how to take the Quarter Test. ColoradoLand is offering a tire buyback program, with each tire exchanged being worth up to $20 towards a new set.

"We see an unbelievable number of worn and bald tires come through our stores,” said Troy Dial, Colorado Operations Manager for ColoradoLand. “People try to squeeze the last few miles of life out of their tires and don’t realize how unsafe they are on the winter roads. We hope that by working with CDOT we can help make Colorado’s roads safer.”

CDOT plans to bring Operation TireSafe tire checks to other ski resorts and mountain towns throughout the winter, encouraging motorists to prepare their vehicles for winter conditions.

Operation TireSafe is part of CDOT’s Change Your Peak Drive campaign, which works to improve the I-70 Mountain Corridor by encouraging mountain travelers to change not only the time they drive, but also how they drive. Through public education and strategic partnerships, CDOT works to give motorists the tools they need to be winter ready and know the resources they have for I-70 information. To learn more about the campaign and winter driving tips, visit winter.codot.gov.

ColoradoLand Tire and Service is a family-owned and operated, tire and service shop that specializes in delivering the level of customer service you would find in small town America. ColoradoLand offers top of the line tires from most of the major brands, including a Price Match Guarantee on any quoted price for the same products they offer, as well as auto repair and service on nearly all makes and models at its nine locations throughout the greater Denver area. For more information about services and a list of locations, visit ColoradoLandTire.com.