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No

34 (82.9%)

Yes, when the roads are covered in snow

1 (2.4%)

Yes, from the end of October to the beginning of March

6 (14.6%)

Don't know

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 26

Voting closed: 25 January 2013, 21:19:08

[05omegav6]

Credit where it's due, those nogrips are spectacularly shocking from new

[Vauxdriver]

Using my alter ego here to try to avoid some abuse but here goes. I think some of you are being a bit riteous here. One day it will be your turn to get stuck and no amount of "experience" or "knowledge" will get you out of it. It only takes a small problem and with many others around you looking at you and it is all to easy to become flustered and further the problem.

Good luck for the future.

[Elite Pete]

Yes when the roads are covered in snow or at least make carrying/using snow chains/socks compulsory. I did a cambelt for a lad that drove from Switzerland when we had the -13 temperatures a few years ago. This country had come to a standstill and he made it over with his mate and their other halves, all he had done it fit his steel wheels with winter tyres. Oh and look at how Sweden, Norway and Finland cope with snow, it's not a issue for them

[cem_devecioglu]

Using my alter ego here to try to avoid some abuse but here goes. I think some of you are being a bit riteous here. One day it will be your turn to get stuck and no amount of "experience" or "knowledge" will get you out of it. It only takes a small problem and with many others around you looking at you and it is all to easy to become flustered and further the problem.

Good luck for the future.

yep..

[OOMV6]

Using my alter ego here to try to avoid some abuse but here goes. I think some of you are being a bit riteous here. One day it will be your turn to get stuck and no amount of "experience" or "knowledge" will get you out of it. It only takes a small problem and with many others around you looking at you and it is all to easy to become flustered and further the problem.

Good luck for the future.

+1 

[aaronjb]

Yep, so take a completely inappropriate tool and put your winter tyres on it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iXVYFmnJmno

 

He has significantly bigger balls than I do, I reckon! 

[feeutfo]

Using my alter ego here to try to avoid some abuse but here goes. I think some of you are being a bit riteous here. One day it will be your turn to get stuck and no amount of "experience" or "knowledge" will get you out of it. It only takes a small problem and with many others around you looking at you and it is all to easy to become flustered and further the problem.

Good luck for the future.

+1 

why is it so difficult for eastern europeans to understand , that we don't get east European weather?

...well, apart from what looks like 3 days of snow

[OOMV6]

Understanding the limits of your vehicle, understanding and experience in different weather conditions, situation awareness and defensive driving are worth IMHO worth much more than winter tyres, ABS etc.

When I used to ride bikes in snow and ice, it was always back wheel braking, you can fish tail down the road but lose the front end and you knew you were going to be dumped in the road. Today I was round my neighbours when the news was on and watching the muppets trying to drive in the snow was comical and also depressing. They don't understand rolling friction is much less than static friction.

So start off gently in a high gear, if on a hill without LSD a small amount of handbrake on a RWD car can help etc. In wet and slippery conditions fast driving is all about smooth driving to keep static friction in charge.

Maybe after a few winters in The Ukraine, you'll think differently. Yes, awareness, understanding your vehicle and driving appropriately are all critical - I am never arguing against that - but if summer tyres don't grip, they don't grip. It's as simple as that. I have had many experiences in FWD and RWD, summer tyres, winter tyres, fresh snow, slush ..........  and know the differences.
After snow here, people generally don't potter along at 15mph on a motorway. No, they don't do 80mph either, but life does carry on. No big dramas, hours and hours of news reel about the weather etc.
As said in a previous post, how do the Danes, Swedes, Norwegians etc carry on?

[OOMV6]

Using my alter ego here to try to avoid some abuse but here goes. I think some of you are being a bit riteous here. One day it will be your turn to get stuck and no amount of "experience" or "knowledge" will get you out of it. It only takes a small problem and with many others around you looking at you and it is all to easy to become flustered and further the problem.

Good luck for the future.

+1 

why is it so difficult for eastern europeans to understand , that we don't get east European weather?

...well, apart from what looks like 3 days of snow

Winter tyres are far more effective when the temperature is 7 deg or less. Therefore, winter tyres aren't just about driving on snow. Why is that so difficult for UK residents to understand 

[OOMV6]

Using my alter ego here to try to avoid some abuse but here goes. I think some of you are being a bit riteous here. One day it will be your turn to get stuck and no amount of "experience" or "knowledge" will get you out of it. It only takes a small problem and with many others around you looking at you and it is all to easy to become flustered and further the problem.

Good luck for the future.

+1 

why is it so difficult for eastern europeans to understand , that we don't get east European weather?

...well, apart from what looks like 3 days of snow

Winter tyres are far more effective when the temperature is 7 deg or less. Therefore, winter tyres aren't just about driving on snow. Why is that so difficult for UK residents to understand 

I have the answer! Because most UK residents haven't had the experience of driving on winter tyres, so are in no place to judge

[TheBoy]

I think we should be made to use winter tyres, but enforcement is going to be difficult. Remember, winter tyres aren't just for snow.

However, like 4x4's, I think winter tyres have one big, huge drawback - they lull people into a false sense of security, and this is when bigger accidents happen.

[feeutfo]

Using my alter ego here to try to avoid some abuse but here goes. I think some of you are being a bit riteous here. One day it will be your turn to get stuck and no amount of "experience" or "knowledge" will get you out of it. It only takes a small problem and with many others around you looking at you and it is all to easy to become flustered and further the problem.

Good luck for the future.

+1 

why is it so difficult for eastern europeans to understand , that we don't get east European weather?

...well, apart from what looks like 3 days of snow

Winter tyres are far more effective when the temperature is 7 deg or less. Therefore, winter tyres aren't just about driving on snow. Why is that so difficult for UK residents to understand 

I have the answer! Because most UK residents haven't had the experience of driving on winter tyres, so are in no place to judge

and why don't we have the experience?

I have the answer too. IT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T GET THE WEATHER.

[feeutfo]

Remember, winter tyres aren't just for snow.

Maybe so, but summer tyres of decent quality cope perfectly well in the winter above zero.

Unless to snows, which being generous is only a week of the year in this country, summer tyres are fine.

[TheBoy]

Remember, winter tyres aren't just for snow.

Maybe so, but summer tyres of decent quality cope perfectly well in the winter above zero.

Unless to snows, which being generous is only a week of the year in this country, summer tyres are fine.

Winter tyres tend to work better than summers once down to about +5C...  ...which we do have lots of.  Some summer tyres start to really go off when approaching 0C.

So, without doubt, and I know you'll agree, at cold temps, winter tyres work best. So, on that basis, I think using winter tyres for the winter months here is a good idea. Though unenforcable, and in many cases, impractical due to our UK insurance companies not understanding the concept.


When it comes to snow and ice, narrower tyres work better. Although we don't really have enough snow to worry about this.

[Kevin Wood]

Remember, winter tyres aren't just for snow.

Maybe so, but summer tyres of decent quality cope perfectly well in the winter above zero.

Unless to snows, which being generous is only a week of the year in this country, summer tyres are fine.

Agreed.  I was driving on track day tyres on Wednesday last week. Absolutely no problem at all.   

It is only occasional snow and ice that present remotely hazardous driving conditions for summer tyres in this country, and, even then, the ability of all drivers to drive sensibly according to the conditions would make a much bigger impact than the type of rubber on the road. In addition, we have 3 cars, and only the Omega ever gets used in snow and ice, despite the other 2 being used all year round. Am I expected to buy 3 sets of winter tyres, and store them all summer? Nope. It will never fly.

We are a country where nobody even bothers to change a bulb on their car until it's picked up at an annual MOT. Nobody is interested in making their car or their driving safe. It doesn't get a second thought. Most just jump in a car and drive off with a fag in one hand and/or a mobile phone clamped to their ear. Not a though to the air in the tyres, the frost on the windows or the weather conditions. Winter tyres would be the icing on a cake that's yet to be baked IMHO.