Just taken me 1 1/2hrs to do my normal 12min drive to work! Why can't people drive in the UK once the snow starts?
I don't mean why do they have trouble with grip (thats because they won't believe me when I try and sell them winter tyres); They just
refuse to move. One 4x4 was going so slow, I was at tick-over in first gear and STILL having to brake! 
Last week I was in a mini-bus in Italy doing 30-40mph over a mountain pass on packed down snow. Driver never had a wheel out of shape.
Is very annoying.
Winter tyres on mine are a god send though, the extra grip is unreal as you pass people stuck spinning 
quote:
Originally posted by CosKev3
Is very annoying.
Winter tyres on mine are a god send though, the extra grip is unreal as you pass people stuck spinning
Last year I saw a Zafira going very slowly down hill.... unfortunately she was actually facing uphill with her wheels spinning!! I could hear her
revving the engine, like it was going to improve things!
I love winter tyres, I think they're excellent. I also think that people would have an easier time of it if their regular tyres had a decent
amount of tread on them! Starting to get really fed up of people saying 'oh my MOT was expensive this year, I had to get four new tyres'. If
they failed the MOT they were likely illegal some time ago!
Folks who don't change their wide low profile summer tyres for something more sensible in winter months have always bugged me.
RWD Mercs and BMW's seem to cope fine with snow on the continent... why not in the UK?
I've driven past a Range Rover that was firmly stuck in its driveway because it was on on ultra low profiles, and years back when the Army
were called into to give assistance during a particularly bad winter I can remember seeing Army 109 Land-Rovers having great difficulties on the
old style WD pattern bar grip tyres.
I must say I am impressed with the Avon Ice Touring I fitted, even when the temperature is just a very chilly they seem to give noticeably more
grip. I would like to use them all year round though they feel a bit wobbly when the weather is warmer and dryer.
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
Last year I saw a Zafira going very slowly down hill.... unfortunately she was actually facing uphill with her wheels spinning!! I could hear her revving the engine, like it was going to improve things!
I love winter tyres, I think they're excellent. I also think that people would have an easier time of it if their regular tyres had a decent amount of tread on them! Starting to get really fed up of people saying 'oh my MOT was expensive this year, I had to get four new tyres'. If they failed the MOT they were likely illegal some time ago!
When I bought my 535d a couple of years ago, I had already decided I was going to buy winter tyres for it. I got what believe was a great deal through
http://www.mrwinterwheels.co.uk with 4 brand new alloy wheels fitted with a set of Goodyear Ultragrip 8 Performance tyres including free delivery and
a £50 Tesco fuel voucher for £934 delivered. If I wasn't so fussy about the wheels I could have got cheaper ones and I could have got cheaper
tyres too but to me this is a good deal to avoid ending up stranded on the first hill I come to in the snow or ice. The performance in snow or ice
really is startlingly good - I literally just jump in, select 'D' and drive away as normal without any fuss at all. That's more than I
can say for neighbours in both FWD and RWD cars who can be heard spinning wheels as I'm clearing the snow from my car.
This might seem like a significant outlay but when you realise that the summer tyres wear half as fast, it's not so bad. Also, when it comes time
to sell the car I can either sell the wheels and tyres separately or just use them to keep the asking price a tad higher. That will depend on the
buyer of course and whether they value winter tyres.
I went an inch smaller on the diameter and 20mm narrower, with a taller profile to keep the circumference the same. The tyre rubber is so much softer
then all season tyres and is cut differently to grip the snow and ice. I wait until the temperatures at commuting times are regularly below 7C before
I fit them and I remove them when it's regularly above 7C. I also try not to thrash them in the dry if I can avoid it as you tend to lose the
nice sharp corners on the rubber which are so effective in the snow.
I honestly think there should be a law to prevent people driving on snow unless they have M&S (mud and snow) tyres fitted or snow chains/socks.
Perhaps more difficult to enforce this for icy conditions or where the conditions changed en route. Maybe it would be enough for insurance companies
to take tyre fitment into account in accidents where you get marked down in a claim potentially if you were using tyres not well suited to the
conditions or maybe you'd get a discount on your premium for fitting winter tyres. I guess the main thing to start with is education - I'll
bet most drivers simply don't realise what a difference winter tyres actually make.
This vid' demonstrates the difference they make...
http://youtube.com/v/mfuE00qdhLA
And those Goodyear Ultragrip 8's are the very tyres I've got on my car!
The braking test is even scarier!
http://youtu.be/elP_34ltdWI
The car on winters stopped from 30MPH at which point the one on summers was still doing 25MPH!
[Edited on 29/1/2015 by craig1410]
I think it's not just the tyres, i see plenty of people who clearly have no idea how to drive in the conditions. It's as if they have no
'feel' (for want of a better word) of what the car or tyres are actually doing.
Ian
Agreed. Not sure which is worse, the ones that slam the brakes on or the ones that are just too scared to move.
Out side my GF's house, is a shallow hill that then has a 90 left turn onto a 15% gradient. There's a seat in her bedroom window where we
sit and watch the crashes from. Either on the bend or sliding down the hill but always because they slam the brakes on. One last year had 3 seperate
accidents within 100yds; Came around the corner and hit another one already stopped (swapped details) set off again and hit a car coming the other way
(swapped details) set off again and hit the first one again!. Inevitably once they all give up and abandon cars all over the road, some old guy will
come pootling up, weaving through the gaps like it's a dry road.
quote:
Originally posted by Oddified
I think it's not just the tyres, i see plenty of people who clearly have no idea how to drive in the conditions. It's as if they have no 'feel' (for want of a better word) of what the car or tyres are actually doing.
Ian
I know in Germany its a legal requirement to have winter tyres on when its snowing or icy.
"Under the new rules, fines have been doubled. Drivers caught using summer tires in ice, snow or slush will be fined 40 euro -- up from 20 euro
in previous years , and those who cause an accident or obstruct traffic because they used inappropriate tires during winter conditions will be slapped
with an 80 euro fine – up from 40 euro. In addition, some insurance companies may deny coverage to motorists driving with summer tires on wintery
roads."
Matt
Today was scary for me.
I've deliberately driven in the snow in previous years for fun and experience. Couple of years ago I wound my misses up by going out for pizza in
her 207sw (narrow tyres and small petrol engine) and had a hoot.
This year I was in my diesel SMAX. Its got about 4mm tread on all season tyres. The tyres where the best I could find for the car, great reviews, A
rated in everything but noise at just over 200 quid a tyre. All the same tyres all round.
Jeeze it was not fun. The momentum that thing has is scary. I kept my speed down and left big gaps, gentle on the brakes, trying to use the engine to
slow down and still i'd slide. At one point changing from 2nd to first and the car stuck at tickover - the wheels where turning at tickover but i
was going 10+mph.
Trying to move off on a roundabout, lifted the clutch and the car slid sideways. Dropped the clutch, pressed brakes and just waited till the slide
stopped. Luckily no one was on my inside. End up about 30 degrees from straight ahead.
Until i'd got onto an 'A' road the normally heavy steering was as light as a feather, I had to guess what direction the wheels where
pointing as I never actually knew!
I'm now looking to invest in winter tyres.
My fondest memories of snow.
Busting for a snow pee
@MikeR
http://www.mrwinterwheels.co.uk/ford-winter-wheels-tyres/ford-s-max-winter-wheels-tyres-wa6/
Winter tyres are great and I used to always fit them but now I don't bother for two reasons 1) you still end up sat in the same traffic jams
behind the people who didn't fit winter tyres and 2) Every time I braved the snow and struggled to work nobody else had do I just ended up
driving home again. Now I just treat a snow day as a relax at home with the family day.
[Edited on 29/1/15 by Doctor Derek Doctors]
Obviously it is handy to have snow tyres but is it really worth it for the two or three days every couple of years you need to use them? Is the cost
and then having to store the, for 11.5 months justifiable?
It is clear from the comments that most of you are gods gift to driving, guess what, some drivers aint as good as you or are not as confident. You
want them to hoon along at 60 mph? If they have an accidenty, are you happy to pay increase in premium? the insurance companies WILL claw back money
theh pay out.
Enjoy the whiteness of snow and chill 
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
Obviously it is handy to have snow tyres but is it really worth it for the two or three days every couple of years you need to use them? Is the cost and then having to store the, for 11.5 months justifiable?
It is clear from the comments that most of you are gods gift to driving, guess what, some drivers aint as good as you or are not as confident. You want them to hoon along at 60 mph? If they have an accidenty, are you happy to pay increase in premium? the insurance companies WILL claw back money theh pay out.
Enjoy the whiteness of snow and chill
Got Dunlop Winters on my Audi quattro. First year I've had them and the quattro in snow.... unbelievable grip. Still have to be careful but no
problems stopping and starting on hills.
Went out for a run tonight over the tops towards Fox House (Peak District area) Rather snowy but the grip was great, even when I put the whole 245bhp
down (when safe) the traction control light hardly flashed.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zym33brrc0xq9vq/SnowNight1.mp4?dl=0
As others say the grip in cold weather from proper winter tyres is great, much more positive and quicker to stop/accelerate, I'll never be
without a set now, just wish others would see the benefits.
Also have cheap winters on the Missus Yaris. That embarrassed a BMW X6 on Boxing day evening when we sailed past him spinning his wheels and going
nowhere. I resisted giving him a cheery wave.
[Edited on 29/1/15 by Alfa145]
When sporty cars had 165 tyres winter tyres just weren't necessary.
My Citroen GSA would go just about anywhere on its 145/15s
To be fair my Focus TDCI on normal 205s seems to have no trouble.
Some years ago when we had 8" of snow overnight, it took me 2 hours to get 12 miles to work (just because of the queues of slow moving vehicles).
The trouble was, when I got there, I couldn't get in the car parks because other people were stuck on the (flat) entrance roads 
They then shut the building for three days. I went home and despite all the warnings about "only essential travel" went all over the place
shopping, visiting and simply enjoying a drive out - never any problems. I was prepared with shovel and snow chains, but they were just never needed.
Its not about being driving gods, just not being silly. I have just completed 80mile over m56 and m60. There were people doing 20 mph at 10pm at night, with not much traffic.