[timwilky]

When my folks lived in the forest of Bowland, they didn't bother with winter tyres. too much like hard work. Instead they kept a land rover for those few days a year when they couldn't get in/out by anything but helicopter.

Good fun trying to find out where the road ended and the roadside ditch started when trying to see the road by where the hedges may be.

then again they used to have a dirty great diesel generator as the electricity would always be brought down by snow on the wires.

What am I trying to say, the expense you go to is proportional to the risk. In this country for most of us we get 1 or 2 days snow a year. Some parts of the country have had the worse for 18 years apparently. Here it has been far less than last year. and actual fall can be measured in hours not days. currently there is no snow on the ground, green grass all around me)

So unless there is a high risk of snow/ice every year (like in Sweden/Germany etc) why bother with more than minimum risk reduction such as a blanket/shovel in case you get stuck. If like LP or my parents you live in the middle of nowhere and there is a good chance of roads being snowed out every winter then invest in a 4*4 or winter tyres etc.