Broken snow chain pieces causing headaches for drivers



SEATTLE -- The roads may be clear of ice and snow for the most part, but broken pieces of snow chains are still causing issues for drivers.

At Les Schwab in West Seattle, employees say they have fixed about 600 flat tires during the month of February. They say they worked on about 50 just on Tuesday.

“One of the worst things that can happen for them that day and we try to make it better for them,” said Paul Howell, manager at Les Schwab in West Seattle.

That’s what happened to Eric Alm.

Alm said he found his car had a flat tire waiting for him when he tried to leave for work, so he took it to get repaired.

“The guy immediately knew. He said 'That’s a tire chain,'” said Alm.

The chain parts left behind in the road are so small it’s hard to avoid them.

Howell says you can try to be proactive another way.

“One thing you can do to counteract is make sure you have proper air pressure in your tires. Aire pressure will make sure if something hits the tire it will eject it easier. If it’s low on air, Low it makes it easier to puncture and get a flat,” he said.

Howell says you should also take your snow chains off as soon as you’re clear of roads affected by winter weather. He says continuing to drive with the chains on can cause damage to your car or other cars on the road.