It’s snowing. As these of you, who have facebook accounts know, average Facebook user feels an urgent need to share that information with others.
A friend of mine, young driver, said that she is happy that she recently bought new tires to her wee car. I answered “They were not much help if they are summer tires” but she answered “Don’t worry, I followed your advice and went for all season ones”.
Soon her former driving instructor, who is her friend on Facebook joined discussion and started to say that " it’s not about tyres" and gave her some generally good advice. I seconded his points, adding few more from myself, but objected, saying that tires are a huge advantage if not essential for safe driving in winter. I said that if even Driving Instructors say that tires have nothing to do with safe winter driving, then there is no wonder that the whole country is halted when the slightest snowfall occures.
He then gave me a lecture (he is a driving instructor, you know, so he knows better), that winter tires give drivers false feeling of security, because they are advertised that they will stop car quicker… (I wonder if this guy even saw a winter tire at all, if he claims that that they stop you better in winter is just advertising) Then he said that he personally had never problem with driving on summer tires, that it never stopped him from working and that the usual winter troubles are all due to politics.
Please, somebody explain it to me: I know you don’t like your political class too much, but how on Earth it can be politicians fault that it’s snowing and people cannot copy?
I’ve never had trouble on summer tyres in the snow, just seems like a massive expense for maybe 3-4 days of bad weather a year. By the by I’ve just woke up to snow in kracow think it has followed me from glesga
I had winter tyres on a van I was using many years ago in the snow, for grip I was able to get through lots of roads others on summer tyres could not, IMO they help but agree is down to cost vs use .
even with permanent 4WD i will be fitting my winter tyres at the end of this week. they would have been fitted on saturday if i hadnt been talked into working. they do make a huge difference in cold weather but driving should still be adapted to the conditions. they make winter driving easier but they are not magical items
Pretty silly saying Tyres don’t make a difference.
I use 2 sets of tyres. I have Khumo Venturer AT’s for every day use, and Kingpin MT’s for off road use. AT’s are best for winter driving. As the deep tread bites the loose stuff, and there is enough grooves to cut the ice.
What irks me with bad weather driving, are the people that say to me ‘But you have a 4x4’. You cannot get it through to them that 4wd gives you better linear traction, and you still slip and slide and have the same skid risk as 2wd cars.
Stupid test really IMO as your average driver would not be going up 12 degree slopes, especially where I’m from in Lincs, there are not that many hills. I drove on summer tyres last winter and never got stuck or into any predicaments. The most contributing factor is the drivers style. If you use correct driving techniques such as the use of low gears keeping the engine revs low, then almost certainly grip will be improved. Just my 2p worth.
briscoe05:
Stupid test really IMO as your average driver would not be going up 12 degree slopes, especially where I’m from in Lincs, there are not that many hills. I drove on summer tyres last winter and never got stuck or into any predicaments. The most contributing factor is the drivers style. If you use correct driving techniques such as the use of low gears keeping the engine revs low, then almost certainly grip will be improved. Just my 2p worth.
Cheers,
Nick
Yeah, that’s true. Everything is possible, if you are good driver and know how to handle your car, then you should manage unless you go to the mountains or there is so much snow that it covers you up to the top of your antenna I myself once was in Poland for Christmas on summer tires. Not that I would recomend it, but it is possible. Saying that, winter (or all season tires) are a big improvement.
But what really made me laugh from that conversation is that politicians are to blame for that its winter
merc0447:
I’ve never had trouble on summer tyres in the snow, just seems like a massive expense for maybe 3-4 days of bad weather a year. By the by I’ve just woke up to snow in kracow think it has followed me from glesga
Off course, winter tires in Scotland is waste of money, unless you leave on a top of some hill in Highlands… But all season tires to my car costed me five quid more than the summer tires that were fitted to it originally… I did not noticed any significant change to fuel usage and the only downside is a bit lauder noise when driving… I think I can go as far to have peace of mind this few days in the year.
Winter tyres are just not for snow, we run with winter tyres on the vans we run from November through to March, the grip on wet roads compared to standard tyres is immense, standard tyres do not operate so well at low temps but winter ones are a different compound making them supple below 7 degrees, it’s just not about having traction to drive, you need to stop also, being able to stop even a foot sooner can mean you live another day.
Washwipe:
Winter tyres are just not for snow, we run with winter tyres on the vans we run from November through to March, the grip on wet roads compared to standard tyres is immense, standard tyres do not operate so well at low temps but winter ones are a different compound making them supple below 7 degrees, it’s just not about having traction to drive, you need to stop also, being able to stop even a foot sooner can mean you live another day.
Well said, apparently though, according to the brains trust on here they’re only suitable if you live halfway up Everest.
I got stuck in traffic on the M1 near Luton about ten years ago in the snow. Vehicles slipping and sliding all over the place, anyone who knows the M1 in that area will tell you theres barely a hillock there but it was enough to bring everything to a standstill. Still it was Luton, mountainous old Luton.
Washwipe:
Winter tyres are just not for snow, we run with winter tyres on the vans we run from November through to March, the grip on wet roads compared to standard tyres is immense, standard tyres do not operate so well at low temps but winter ones are a different compound making them supple below 7 degrees, it’s just not about having traction to drive, you need to stop also, being able to stop even a foot sooner can mean you live another day.
Well said, apparently though, according to the brains trust on here they’re only suitable if you live halfway up Everest.
I got stuck in traffic on the M1 near Luton about ten years ago in the snow. Vehicles slipping and sliding all over the place, anyone who knows the M1 in that area will tell you theres barely a hillock there but it was enough to bring everything to a standstill. Still it was Luton, mountainous old Luton.
One winter I was driving M74 up to Glasgow, but it was standstill there. I managed to leave it in Cambuslang and tried to make my way to Southside with side roads.
Troubles started near Morrions Supermarket. There were cars scattered across the road, people desperately tried to push some of them out. And ambulance driver stepped in my way and told me that I am not gonna make it. I told her that I am of a different opinion. She called me an idiot. I closed my window , and just drove up there slaloming between the cars and trucks stuck on the hill…
Soon at next hill I had to go around stuck van and took the traffic island on the right. Unfortunately for me I was about to join main road and there was a police car. They saw me, they turned around and started to follow me… They were driving right at my bumper (way to close for winter condition) and I could see that they are checking me in their wee computer toy… But they weren’t signalling yet that they want to stop me, so I took the street on the left which was going quite steep uphill. The coppers in their BMW got stuck right in the bottom.
I saw them poor sods jumping of their cars and shaking fists at me, but then they just looked at each other and started to laugh, waving to me for farewell…
That feeling: Priceless. 20 pounds difference between a set of summer and all season tires can be paid with a MasterCard
Washwipe:
Winter tyres are just not for snow, we run with winter tyres on the vans we run from November through to March, the grip on wet roads compared to standard tyres is immense, standard tyres do not operate so well at low temps but winter ones are a different compound making them supple below 7 degrees, it’s just not about having traction to drive, you need to stop also, being able to stop even a foot sooner can mean you live another day.
This is the point people don’t seem to get, they are for the colder temperatures of winter not just snow. But I would say the instructor might have a point about fitting them giving a false sense of confidence, which will actually defeat the point of having them if you still don’t allow for the conditions because you think your tyres will get you out of trouble. It’s the same reason I see more 4x4s buried in hedges than 2wd cars when it snows.
Winter tyres can help in bad conditions, not just snow and ice. Personally never run them but know guys who do, and when I wear out the tyres that are currently on the winter wheels for my car, I may replace with them, price depending.
Personally I’ve never had much of a problem yet in cold conditions and I’ve been driving a hell of a lot less time than some on here, its a matter of reading the road ahead and driving accordingly. I’ve been round the Lanes of ■■■■■■■ on fresh snow and ice in the works vans, RWD with summer tyres on (allbeit we make sure they are all brand new come November) and not had an issue yet, It can get squirmish at times (and I do occasionally kick the back end out where I know I have room) but it keeps on going.
Washwipe:
Winter tyres are just not for snow, we run with winter tyres on the vans we run from November through to March, the grip on wet roads compared to standard tyres is immense, standard tyres do not operate so well at low temps but winter ones are a different compound making them supple below 7 degrees, it’s just not about having traction to drive, you need to stop also, being able to stop even a foot sooner can mean you live another day.
This is the point people don’t seem to get, they are for the colder temperatures of winter not just snow. But I would say the instructor might have a point about fitting them giving a false sense of confidence, which will actually defeat the point of having them if you still don’t allow for the conditions because you think your tyres will get you out of trouble. It’s the same reason I see more 4x4s buried in hedges than 2wd cars when it snows.
That’s true. But if we follow that logic, then maybe we all start drive Reliant Robins, then we all become very careful drivers to avoid rolling it over…
Thank you, I will rather drive my car with all season tires, four wheels, ABS, 4 airbags and 4 stars NCAP.
I myself once was in Poland for Christmas on summer tires. Not that I would recomend it, but it is possible. Saying that, winter (or all season tires) are a big improvement.