Road "Chaos"!

Having driven around Europe in winter, our laughable road "Chaos" is completely down to the use of inapropriate tyres. I've driven around germany at minus 17 as if it were a normal day. I've driven around Sweden in Febuary as if it was a normal day in snow like we never get.

The roads are fine and the traffic is free flowing and safe.

Virtually all European countries have a law that means you have to change your tyres to winter tyres as autumn end sand you can only change back in spring.

http://www.etyres.co.uk/winter-tyres-law

We are all driving around on tyres like these, that are standard fitment of most rep mobiles and family cars now (and are absolutely useless in snow)...



When we should be driving around on something like these...




And god forbid anyone should actually consider using snow chains!

In reality, most roads have had no more than 2" of snow on then and maybe a bit of slush and with the tyres above on, you'd be driving with plenty of grip.

How many of those people (idiots) on TV that had to spend the night in a shelter last night had a shovel, pieces of carpet, a bag of sand or grit, a warm drink, mars bars, a full tank of fuel and snow chains in the cars before they set out on their ill fated journey?

How many had even one of these items in the boot?

I live in the countryside, I expect snow and bad weather, I bought a Jeep and put good all season tyres on it. I can drive through 2 foot of snow to anywhere.. unless the road is blocked by repmobiles stuck on ice because they have carp tyres on. It only takes one car without winter tyres on to block a road or hill. than then closes the road to everyone.

Isn't it about time we stopped being embarrassed as a nation and started using proper winter tyres like the rest of Europe?

Carl

[Dave20046]

I thought snowchains were illegal in the UK. To be honest most people can't afford to fork out however much for snow and ice tyres just for a couple of weeks per year but I see where you're coming from. I'm with standard michelins I think,reasonable tread and I've been doing alright (not missed a day yet and driving a fair part of my job).

[Dave20046]

Are you coming on the hardy bikers ride out btw berlin?

[Mr Speirs]

Errrr the last time we had snow like this was 18 years ago. It makes no sense for the country to invest in more snow ploughs, more gritters and for ordinary folk to change their tyres or purchase a 4x4 for snow use.

We simply don't usually get these types of weather conditions to warrant massive change so I will keep my normal tyres on and for a couple of days once every 18 years, will admit mother nature has won and instead of going to work I shall build a snowman.

I am

Winter tyres are not just for snow. They use much softer rubber that works in sub zero temperatures (much as racing wets do on a bike compared to Supersports)

They also have the little "slits" as in the tyres above that suck water off wet road and ice surfaces. Adding salt to the road reducts traction by 60%. Using winter tyres takes that back up again so there's hardly any loss. Like using racing wets.

If it was brought in as law, the government could give a grant out to cover some or all of the cost of the tyres (about 120-140 quid for a family car, fitted with cheaper tyres) to prevent all of the loss of earnings and chaos around the country.

In Germany, you have to change on the 1st December. You take your car along to the garage that has been holding your tyres since last year, swap them over and store your summer tyres for you until spring when they change them back again.

Excellent system. Some people put them of a spare set of wheels so they can change and store them themselves.

and the traffic flows freely and there's a distinct lack of "Chaos"

One set of winter tyres will last you 10 years so it works out at about 14 quid a year for free running roads.
C

[Mr Speirs]

Yeah I admit it is a great system for countries where snow in quantities is certain.
I used to love living in Germany you could pretty much know that Summer would be great and winter would be cold and snowy, good old land locked countries.

When did that law come in anyhow in Germany as I don't think it was there when I lived there. We left in 1996.

we should all have one of these
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ9M3P_P9_U

we'd have no problems then lol

Originally Posted by Berlin

(about 120-140 quid for a family car, fitted with cheaper tyres)

I don't know where you get your tyres from, but for my old car (nothing flash, a 2ltr petrol Ford Galaxy), we were getting charged £80 per tyre, for the basic cheepy tyres. I ended up paying almost half again for something reasonable!

As for snow chaos, I don't get it either. Admitedly we've had very little snow here on Anglesey (protected by Snowdonia see), but for the snow we have had, I've still gone out on the bike!!

Taking the kids to school the other morning, I managed to drive past a stranded X5. WTF!?!

Actually that's my bad, It turns out it's only guidance in germany but I don't know anyone that didn't do it. Its only in mountainous areas where its compulsary. There could well have been a local law in Berlin too as I remember everyone having a two week period to change over. And everyone did.

Even lorries and buses.

The X5 has to be one of the worst offenders as the tyres are so wide they don't cut through the snow. No wonder it was stuck

Baph,
I used to use Federal S595's for my Audi V6 and they were £42 each fitted. Superb tyres and available from any of my local garages.

Even Pirelli's winter tyres are only £45 each.

C

[Viney]

Originally Posted by Berlin

Having driven around Europe in winter, our laughable road "Chaos" is completely down to the use of inapropriate tyres. I've driven around germany at minus 17 as if it were a normal day. I've driven around Sweden in Febuary as if it was a normal day in snow like we never get.

The roads are fine and the traffic is free flowing and safe.

Virtually all European countries have a law that means you have to change your tyres to winter tyres as autumn end sand you can only change back in spring.

http://www.etyres.co.uk/winter-tyres-law

We are all driving around on tyres like these, that are standard fitment of most rep mobiles and family cars now (and are absolutely useless in snow)...



When we should be driving around on something like these...




And god forbid anyone should actually consider using snow chains!

In reality, most roads have had no more than 2" of snow on then and maybe a bit of slush and with the tyres above on, you'd be driving with plenty of grip.

How many of those people (idiots) on TV that had to spend the night in a shelter last night had a shovel, pieces of carpet, a bag of sand or grit, a warm drink, mars bars, a full tank of fuel and snow chains in the cars before they set out on their ill fated journey?

How many had even one of these items in the boot?

I live in the countryside, I expect snow and bad weather, I bought a Jeep and put good all season tyres on it. I can drive through 2 foot of snow to anywhere.. unless the road is blocked by repmobiles stuck on ice because they have carp tyres on. It only takes one car without winter tyres on to block a road or hill. than then closes the road to everyone.

Isn't it about time we stopped being embarrassed as a nation and started using proper winter tyres like the rest of Europe?

Carl

It only snows once every 18 years, so there really is no point. It causes a few days of disruption, then everyone is back to normal.