[Dave Anderson]

No point flogging a dead horse...but the fact remains winter tyres are safer in colder conditions over standard tyres...whether you get them or not is up to you....but these foreign chaps in Europe don't seem to have half the issues that the UK gets...

For me they are a no brainer but for others they are not wanted/needed.

Now I get my mot done and at that time the garage take my winters tyres out of their tyre hotel and swap them over with my standard tyres...no hassel, no real effort on my part ...just have tyres for the season.....when spring comes...they swap them over again and my winter tyres go on their summer hols

Cheers
Dave.

[paul saunders]

What makes me laugh with the insurance companies is they aren't linked up to DVLA. If they were, any un-insured drivers would flag up automaticaly. Having no system in UK makes having insurance optional. :

I think you'll find that they are linked, when you tax your car online, they check that the car is insured and MOT'd. 

[barry mallett]

If you use snow tyres when its warm they wear out pretty quick.

Change back to summer tyres

like youve got nowt better to do than keep changing your tyres every couple of weeks

[Mike #1]

winter tyres are a waste of money anyway when you are carrying a heavy load as we do with all the water etc

Wrong Totally Wrong!

In winter do you wear winter work boots ar trainers?

If everybody used snow tyres the country would NOT come to a standstill ever time we have 2 cm of snow!






Go abroad, Belarus, Bulgaria etc - they all use snow tyres, usually have more snow than us, and there traffic problems are no where near as bad as ours.

I say make it law from end of october to end of march to use snow tyres on every vehicle.

[Mike #1]

 IF PEOPLE KNEW HOW TO DRIVE THE COUNTRY WOULD NOT COME TO A STAND STILL,   PEOPLE GET  STUCK AND PUT THE FOOT TO FLOOR EXPECTING TO MOVE AND THEY GET KNOW WERE MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO CLUE HOW DRIVE IN SNOW OR ON ICE

[Dave Anderson]

I don't think that these euro's are any better driving in any given condition to be honest speaking about these dutchies....I don't think I have every come across a more arrogant and aggressive bunch of drivers in the main, get them out of their cars and there are perfectly normal people but in them...it's very close to dodgems...

As for the driving over the recent snows we had over 700km's of traffic jams in the country at one time but people were able to move after the accidents were cleared away on various motorways, carridgeways etc.

Now as for gritting, yes they do grit the main roads but sometimes just the one lane...as for roads on housing estates etc forget that...thats your issue....but what is funny...every effort is made to ensure the cycle lanes are clear and usable. They will also stop private use of the canals so only the freight barges will use them.

Winter tyres here are not compulsory but most people seem to accept that they have there place.

In the main I have noticed that those in power in the U.K seem to be reactive and here more on the proactive..then the media kick in and you're all doom and gloom...the 2 do not make the public feel any better about a given situation....

Dave.

[chopsie]

It really winds me up rhino man going on about winter tyres(or snow tyres as he wrongly calls them) and all us brits are thick not using them.
I, at 33 years of age have never heard of them until his post about them. Now i have asked around and a lot of people have never heard of them either. Also we do not use 'summer' tyres, we use all season tyres  :
I have rang up about these tyres and searched on the net and basically the country has virtually none left. Now hardly anyone has heard of them, and those who have cannot get them as there is none in the country...........So how is that us brits being thick.

[rg1]

It really winds me up rhino man going on about winter tyres(or snow tyres as he wrongly calls them) and all us brits are thick not using them.
I, at 33 years of age have never heard of them until his post about them. Now i have asked around and a lot of people have never heard of them either. Also we do not use 'summer' tyres, we use all season tyres  :
I have rang up about these tyres and searched on the net and basically the country has virtually none left. Now hardly anyone has heard of them, and those who have cannot get them as there is none in the country...........So how is that us brits being thick.

Even if you could get them, tyre fitting businesses are reluctant to change your current tyres for winter tyres that they haven't sold you. So the only solution would be to have them on another set of wheels so you could change them yourself as and when required.

[SPE]

snow tyres, winter tyres, cold weather tyres = the same thing, does it really matter what we call them chopsie ? RG1 I think you've the right idea, get some spare wheels and have a set fitted and chuck em in ya shed for when needed.
I take it you really only need SNOW tyres for your drive wheels? eg; in my case the front ones. Its road conditions that keep me from taking the van out and working and so I think a set would be very worthwhile if I can get hold of some.

[Darranvps]

I have to say thats how I did it on my own car whilst living abroad. One set of Winter/Snow tyres on a set of winter wheels, and Normal tyres on my other set of wheels.

Perhaps Chopsie needs to be more determined whilst shopping around for his winter/snow tyres, where theres a will theres a way.

You can't educate a pork chop!

[chopsie]

very funny rhino.
Me getting winter tyres was not the real issue. It was your rants about the thick useless british public driving around on the wrong tyres. here is a news flash.....I, and most on here are those useless british public  with supposedly wrong tyres.
There are not enough winter tyres in the uk for the people who know about them and want them, never mind for the rest of us thickies who have never heard of them so are driving around on supposedly wrong tyres 

[Darranvps]

Well we have had winters since the car was invented, have we not?

We have had cold weather conditions including, snow, ice and heavy rain for as long as I remember.

We have had moaning Brits complaining about the snow on roads for as long as I remember.

Why do you think I call them Thickos, when they have had all this time to buy some decent winter/snow tyres, and for some unknown reason they go out onto the roads in ordinary tyres whilst its snowing and then have the cheek to complain the roads are too bad to drive on because of the snow

So I suppose you think they are super intelligent, I suppose you go out cleaning windows in the winter wearing your flip flops

[Scrimble]

i have a set of proper winter tyres on my van and they are very very good, its dangerous to drive in snow and ice without them,

no chopsie your using summer tyres not all season, most brits are thick as when it comes to the snow "where were the gritters" across the papers its pathetic,

and you can get winter tyres in this country i bought a set a month ago from mytyres.co.uk

http://www.parkers.co.uk/News/News/Winter-tyres---a-guide/

[chopsie]

no I am using all season or all weather tyres and this is an extract from the article you posted.

All-weather tyres are generally what is found on cars in the UK. They're a compromise between summer and winter tyres, and as a result they don't grip as well in the dry or handle slippery conditions quite as well.

and yes there is a shortage as I have found when looking for some, even online.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/260503/winter_tyre_ko_as_big_freeze_hits.html

[chopsie]

look, I am not denying the benifits of winter tyres, I would like to get some, I will definitly be getting some for next year for both my car and van, But my gripe is the issue with slating uk drivers for not fitting them.

A. most have not heard of them
B. if they have heard of them they cannot get them as there is a shortage of them globally, never mind in the uk where i believe they only count for 5% of tyre sales (which proves the fact a lot have not heard of them).

[Darranvps]

When I lived in Bulgaria, you just drove into any tyre dealer and they had them in stock - always. So its not a world shortage.

My argument is that obviously they are thick trying to drive around in something that is not suitable for the conditions and then complaining that there are no gritters out there - they can't get through because of the summer - all season - tyre brigaid.

You are right Chopsie that MOST brits don't know or even understand what a snow/winter tyre is. To me the name says it all - and you are defending them?

[bobby p]

im thinking there are regular tyres,  these winter tyres AND those winter tyres that have studs in them . 

[jsm]

what about chains or wheel socks - not bad price £60 per PAIR of wheels for chains .

My dad used to drive lorrys to Austria and used them all winter , said they worked great .

link - http://www.snowchainsandsocks.co.uk/van-snow-chains/polar-snow-chains-en-2.html

[rg1]

what about chains or wheel socks - not bad price £60 per PAIR of wheels for chains .

My dad used to drive lorrys to Austria and used them all winter , said they worked great .

link - http://www.snowchainsandsocks.co.uk/van-snow-chains/polar-snow-chains-en-2.html

Snow chains are only useful if there is a sufficient covering of snow on the roads. If not, you will damage the tarmac and face a possible fine!

[Scrimble]

chopsie i very much doubt you are using all season tyres,

winter tyres say M&S on them with a snow flake, all season tyres are marked M&S but without the snowflake,

the tyre garages round where i live were useless at getting a set of proper winter tyres only a few could get them, www.mytyres.co.uk is the best place to get them from, i paid 30 quid to have them fitted at a local asian tyre place

i wouldnt bother with snow chains or socks etc, i couldnt get my van stuck with winter tyres fitted to it, i just drove round people with ease who were stuck!

at about chains or wheel socks - not bad price £60 per PAIR of wheels for chains .

i paid 45 quid each for the winter tyres!