In this step you'll drive partway onto the chains, check their alignment, and continue driving to put the tires into their final position on the chains.

• Get in the car, or let a partner do it if you're not alone. Slowly drive the car onto the chains. Stop when you've driven two feet onto them.
• Make sure each tire is sitting squarely on its chain. The strands should overlap both sides of the tire equally. Check both tires on this point.
• The straight and the crooked: If one or both of the chains are crooked, pull the chains straight into the path of the tire. Make sure each side is parallel. Then pull up the car and stop when the tires are directly on top of the rungs.

Reader's Response: A UPS driver from a mountain ski resort wrote in with an alternative to driving onto the chains. In some instances, it may be difficult or impractical to clear a path in the snow. If so, try draping the chains over the tires.

Lay the chain on the tire as it is supposed to fit (rungs across the tread, strands on outside and inside of tire), then align the remainder behind the wheel. Get as much of the chain on the tire as possible. Pull forward about two feet, not far enough for the other end of the chain to slide off. (You can also use this method in reverse gear.)