As we have so little snow here, winter tyres are uneconomic.

Snow chains would solve the traffic queues caused by drivers attempting to get up and down inclines.

It would also help all the people who haven't a clue how to drive on snow and ice.

I'm sure a move like this would slash accidents, prevent getting stuck overnight on log jammed motorways and would make daily life workable for all but the worst winter weather.

see how the next few winters go i reckon.

It's snowed heavily ONCE IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. Get over it.

I make it two consecutive winters with many disrrupted days, but £35 isn't much to "get over" versus sitting at home not making any money, or the millons the country looses due to all those who like to wag off work at the slightest opportunity.

Snow chain use would also mitigate the BBC's useless on location weather reporters spouting scaremongering rubbish!

oh right i had no idea how much they cost.
i see your point then.hmmm.
legal??? not sure still.

I don't need snow chains. So no, I wouldn't like to see them made compulsory.

To be honest, winter tyres make more sense than snow chains to me. If they work better below 7C, then you could stick them on quite happily for a good 4 months or so.

I reckon if everyone had to use snow chains, a good 30% of people wouldn't learn how to put them on, and wouldn't be able to work it out when they needed to. Of those who did work out how to put them on, probably 90% of people would use them to drive on clear tarmac. We don't get the kind of snow you need for snow chains – you need a uniform covering. Often you will go from snow to cleared road several times in a journey. And then you'll get the people who don't give a monkeys keeping their chains on for a 80mph run down the cleared motorway…

Yep chains are only really good to around 30-40mph and on proper snow-covered roads (not icy tarmac or cleared roads).

And where will people stop to take the chains off?
And who will police it?
And who will be whining about the damage to the road surface?
And they don't work on black ice.

"winter tyres are uneconomic."

I question that assumption.

You could buy softer compound "All Season" tyres. All seasons are not as soft as full winter tyres so will last a decent amount of time, especially if you just put them on between Dec->Feb. Note that softer compound tyres grip better regardless so you get a safety benefit by doing this

If you have a front wheel drive car, it could be argued that 90% of the benefit comes from just fitting two at the front. That's not to say it wont encourage back-end slides, but you will get more forward and braking grip overall.

Winter tyres are only strictly law in a few countries, not including Switzerland and Germany. In those countries, the laws are phrased to say "suitable tyres for the conditions". So if it's snowy, you should not be driving on summer tyres. And if you have an accident you are in big trouble with the cops and your insurer.

On the continent, they just take the sensible approach of putting on suitable tyres over the winter. I'm thinking seriously about this myself, though I have actually just bought some auto-socks!

No.

Decent winter tyre is good enough in our climate…

People should just think about how and if they are going to go to work (or anywhere else) when snow hits. It's normally a couple of days a year at most and sometimes people would be better booking the day off and sledging.

I was amazed by the numer of colleages at work who drove 2 or 3 miles in those conditions. It took most of them over an hour when they could have easily walked in that time.

35quid for snow chains, where from?

No it should not be made compulsory, don't be daft. What beggars belief is that so many people seem to have problems in the snow. For those who live on hills/in areas affected by serious snow they may wish to buy chains, but don't make them compulsory, what a complete and utter waste of cash and law-making. If I managed to drive a diesel FWD estate around the highlands of scotland in the height of the snow problems, up hill and down dale off the main roads, I just don't get how the majority of people can't do the same with the same caution and care.

Snow chains are for snow filled roads not slippery icey roads.

What speed can you go? ok so we slow down to 25 on a 30mph road no biggey for a week or 2.

Oh yeah most people can't drive properly anyway!

I would say given summers are usually so crap in the UK, that banning summer tyres would be better. Make all cars come fitted with decent all season tyres, they would give better handling on wet roads and give a bit extra traction on the few snowy days.

Definitely not. A few extra days holiday to make snowmen and enjoy life is always welcome.

Snow chains would have only helped 90% of people by getting into and out of their street. On compacted ice they are useless, and after seeing the state of our pothole roads, imagine how much worse they'd be if people had been running chains through the slush.

Winter tyres are much more viable. I've had winter mud and snow tyres fitted since the summer, they were great in the snow and got me by on the icy patches. I have them mainly for driving in wet fields so they stay on all year, but I can't see them wearing out particularly faster than premium sporty tyres.

Quadruple road tax to pay for road damage and they'll end costing more than £35.

Our boss bought a set for the ' Break down vehicle'. So it could get to all the break downs.
They where cheap and cost £99.99, The build quality was poor cast metal insted of forged and they broke the first time we used them :lol:.
Didn't even make it out of the estate it wasn't even that snowy. But he wanted to see them in action.
In short didnt need them, sensible driving would of saved more money.
cant see the point for a couple of days of slowing it down abit insted of going like a twot every where.

can't see them wearing out particularly faster than premium sporty tyres.

My car is wearing all-season (actually supposed to be summer tyres uniroyal rainsports) and never had the slightest bother even when others seemed to be really struggling.

I got stuck ONCE on a 30 degree driveway that had thawed and re-frozen overnight. Cured the problem by wheelspinning the ice away (at low revs) for about 6 inches (starts by polishing the ice, then wears it away) and then using the now 9 inches of clear tarmac to get enough momentum to carefully edge out of the drive. Good job as I had 2 4×4's parked behind me that belonged to someone else!

30 degrees is pretty steep, less than 1 in 4. I'd expect even a 4×4 would have its work cut out getting out of that 🙂

Won't fit through the rear arches on my car anyway…how you gonna police that?

I've not had a protractor to it, on second thoughts it's probably more like 20-25 degrees to be fair. I've got photos but like with MTBing helmetcams, they just make it looks like 5 degrees 🙂

Won't fit through the rear arches on my car anyway…how you gonna police that?

Simple, don't have a car that fits chains, don't use the car – thats how it works in other countries. They'd not fit under the arches of my 4×4 either, but if it was deep enough to need chains it'd not have the ground clearance to move anyway.

All season (or better than summer) tyres. The trend for wide low profile tyres with three big radial grooves is part of the problem. The old blokes pottering around in less flashy cars with 'proper' tyres that actually have a pattern on probably have far less bother.

I've got winter tyres and they're flippin ace.

And if there's one internet forum where the correct tyre choice is regarded as a big deal then this has to be it.

Unless you have a good covering of snow chains are useless. If I drove to work using them I would put the on for the quarter mile to first bit of clear road travel 6 miles down the road to put them on to park and the reverse it fir the whole journey. Not really worth it. Bit like autosocks but the snow was fine this year it was the ice that made things difficult. Talked to my old man about this during the snow. With changing cars every few years and wheel sizes varying it's not as economical to get a set of 15" steelies with winter tyres for your car. I think it would be better if people use some common sense and were a little more cautious

Snow chains would solve the traffic queues caused by drivers attempting to get up and down inclines.

people not being morons would solve the problem and be a lot cheaper.

I borrowed some chains last week, fantastic once on, but an awful lot of effort to get on and struggled with the power/weight/tyres of my car – therefore pretty pointless.

Perhaps they (or winter tyres) should be compulsory for rwd and rear engined cars / vans that seem prone to getting stuck easily?

Perhaps they (or winter tyres) should be compulsory for rwd and rear engined cars / vans that seem prone to getting stuck easily?

Why would rear-engined cars or vans be prone to ge stuck? My experience is precisely the opposite!

Have you ever watched a 50hp transporter leaving modern cars standing in the snow?

(I don't, and never have owned one; I've just seen them in action)

being willing to try alternative forms of transport when it snows should be made a legal requirement. Being 'snowed in' does not mean 'There's a bit of snow on the car therefore I can't get into work'.

RWD and mid-engine usually have 50/50 (or there abouts) weight distribution, whereas FWD have (more) weight over the driving wheels.

My 5 series is absolutely crap on ice/compacted snow, and a heavy bugger to push…

Given the entire problem was caused by people being idiots, how exactly do you expect such idiots to manage complicated things like fitting snow chains, knowing when to use them and when not, and actually being bothered to take them off when they don't need them? Far better to have improved and more regular testing of driving standards (you could even include radical stuff like multiple choice questions – is the best way to make progress in snow and ice a: put your foot to the floor and hope that your spinning wheels do something useful at some point in the next year; b: gently apply as little power as possible, trying to keep your tyres rolling, not skidding at all times – a failure to answer correctly resulting in an instant 6 month ban would empty the roads nicely). That would also improve things for the other 99%+ of the time when we don't have such bad road conditions.

RWD and mid-engine usually have 50/50 (or there abouts) weight distribution, whereas FWD have (more) weight over the driving wheels.

Even worse for a RWD van being driven empty (or relatively so, which is the case for the majority I'd guess given what people put in them compared to the sort of loads they can take). For cars there's also a reasonable correlation between RWD and bigger cars with wider tyres.

Chains for the masses – no, it would just be random stop and fit mayhem. Most people would go for the chocolate teapot standard ones from a certain auto / bike / camping shop with a big orange sign. Avoid these like the plague – I've owned one pair which evaported in a blizzard on the B6278. Simplest thing is proper tyres – just got some with a good amount of tread vast improvement on the three grove specials that were on before. The more modern car I've owned the worse its been on snow, best to worst-

Bedford Pick-up (4wd) – strangely enough.
Ford Escort Van
Vauhall Nova
Audi A4
Ford Focus

Best chains – Rud easyGo.

chains are only any good on snow. not , as i seen some tit driving on tarmac, they will shread your tyres,if your that botherd get a landrover , and help warm the planet up a bit, 🙂

can you get them for mtb

I'll bear this thread in mind next time I get caught out in a lengthy traffic jam caused by a sudden snowfall.

I bought my chains 3 years ago for a ski trip (where you must carry these by law on French mountains).

Even if I only needed to fit my chains to get over one hill, that would be worth the trouble of carrying and fitting them.

I once got caught out in heavy snow and a 45 min journey turned into 3 hours. All the main routes were gridlocked and in the latter stages of my journey, I had to make quite a detour to find a clear route. This latter section didn't take me much more time than usual. The only reason for this was a clear way to get the correct speeds for the forthcoming inclines.

So yes, I agree, the problem is one of driver competence. Unless everyone has the right kit to drive in heavy snow, my effort is quite pointless where there is any significant weight of traffic.

I'll bear this thread in mind next time I get caught out in a lengthy traffic jam caused by a sudden snowfall.

But that has nothing to do with using or the ability to use chains. The jams are caused by other people not driving carefully enough in snowfall (which is almost always well predicted and on all the forecasts). Even if everyone had chains, don't you think the jams would be just as bad when random people stopped to chain-up etc? I just don't see it, I don't see the need for all the fuss, I don't see the problem driving in the snow and I don't see why being delayed a bit on a journey once every 5 years is such a problem that peope should be forced by law to buy snow chains.

Kneejerk reaction.