[Closed] Why snow tyres are pointless

I don't think they are pointless, we put a set on the wife's RAV4 each winter and they make it an impressive on the roads winter vehicle but... Each winter sprog James and I get a winter car, last few have been Xantia estate, Clio 2, Xantia saloon, and this year a Micra 2. These cars with narrow tyres and fwd just don't stop, if it's looking particularly difficult we lower the pressures significantly and they just keep going in pretty dire conditions often passing stuck 'road' 4x4s.
Still this year winter tyres have seemed a pointless precaution as no winter conditions down here - yet (?)

I'd rather have my wife drive me up and down to the ski resort on a mix of verglas and polished ploughed snow in a fwd car with Michelin Alpins than you driving any car you want on Summer tyres, Hora. No amount of ability provides the grip for getting safely up and down 13% gradients on verglas, Winter tyres do if you're careful (rather than skillful).

In terms of getting safely down steep gradients on ice ABS has made us all equal. If you go slowly and you're on Winter tyres you'll be fine.

In Austria, from October to April Winter tyres are mandatory. If there's snow or slush on the ground and you're on normal tyres, it's 5000 euro fine.

Austria? What would [i]they[/i] know about driving in winter conditions? 🙄

snow tyre threads are pointless unless it snows daaan saaf

The moral of the story is RWD is not suitable for snow, regardless of fancy tyres and cushions.

If the snow is really bad then you'd need tyre chains, which are not legal in this country because the snow doesn't get that bad. People just don't know how to drive or buy inappropriate cars. Hence the big boom in 'winter tyre' sales.

I wouldn't go back from winter tyres now. Winters have all been mild since I started using them (sod's law), but they've still made a massive difference in traction, despite previously using highly recommended all season (non M&S) tyres. Difference is night and day.

Currently leave them on all year round.

snow tyre threads are pointless unless it snows daaan saaf

In the last ten years, my part of Surrey has seen 5 winters with snow on the ground for at least a month. Winter tyres have been well worth it.
Even when it's as mild as this year they're pretty handy on muddy roads.

If the snow is really bad then you'd need tyre chains, which are not legal in this country because the snow doesn't get that bad.

Are they illegal? Or just when the road hasn't got a full covering of snow/ice - that's what I thought?

Seen a big AA or RAC rescue truck crossing the moors on them a couple of months back. It was the only thing I seen up there.

Chains are legal in the snow, i've only had to put them on a few times and they were back off pretty quick, but I was glad I had them or it would have been the long way round for me.

Had some fun in the snow on this beast.Bog standard 'Trailwings',I've read of people putting self tappers into the nobblies for traction.I'm not sure if something similar would work on car tyres?
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The moral of the story is BMW really isn't the ultimate driving machine. Too many people believe the marketing and handling technology acronyms. Instead of thinking about skill, applying common sense and adapting to ever changing movements and balance. I bet there's a fair few drivers who will press the throttle and expect [insert acronym] to sort it out for them.

Now got to Harrogate and it makes no difference having snow socks, 4x4, superman, it's just gridlocked.

Always baffled me why the emergency services dont fit M&S tyres to all their vehicles in the winter. I know storage is a bit of a problem but surely councils have somewhere to stash them all or even just at the back of the depot?

Fire engines use snow chains when necessary (do in NI anyway). With a lockable rear diff, it makes a massive difference too - and I guess the weight from the water helps.

The moral of the story is BMW really isn't the ultimate driving machine. Too many people believe the marketing and handling technology acronyms. Instead of thinking about skill, applying common sense and adapting to ever changing movements and balance. I bet there's a fair few drivers who will press the throttle and expect [insert acronym] to sort it out for them.

TBF 'push the throttle and let the tech deal with it' got my car out from here after the ride. I was the only idiot not in a 4x4 and I think everyone else expected to have to pull me out. Snow tyres wold probably have helped and would definitely have been safer which is surely the most important thing.

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The moral of the story is RWD is not suitable for snow, regardless of fancy tyres and cushions.

If the snow is really bad then you'd need tyre chains, which are not legal in this country because the snow doesn't get that bad. People just don't know how to drive or buy inappropriate cars. Hence the big boom in 'winter tyre' sales.

So what are these magical laws of physics bending suitable cars called then ?

I put winters on the berlingo - it was pretty good at getting going on snow before but ice and stopping in particular was a lottery.....with winters on the only thing that stops it moving is if the snow is too high for the ground clearance, everything else functions as if it was just a wet day.

I guess my land rover is probably a suitable car - how ever stick it on summer tyres it becomes a completely useless car and a rwd on winters will drive straight past it.

Its seems that most of the haterz /driving gods have either not used winters or dont get snow.

As for getting stuck behind other traffic not on winter tyres - i just go over the untreated back roads and only meet the occasional 4x4.

mmannerr driving at the weekend:

RWD / FWD / 4WD all good with proper tyres, much of the ability to go forward depends also on weight distribution and tyre width. The driver skills are most important in all cases.

To clarify, Ambo tyres ARE M&S rated, but they are no substitute for snow socks when you get a white over at 3am. All our RRVs are 4x4, and they also need snow socks when it gets fluffy.

Think there's a lot of confusion caused by the fact that M+S rated tyres are not always winter tyres. Winter tyres are 3 peak mountain snowflake rated.

I always thought a M+S tyre just had lots of tread

A winter tyre is actually designed to be used in cold conditions (which obviously includes more tread, but also a different compound etc)

that is correct benp1.

annoyingly some tyres come in both variants as well...

took me ages to find some bfg MUD km2s with the 3 snowflake rating as oppose to the cheapass m+s ones.

Some of our ambulances have got auto snow chains fitted.

Our BMW X1 RRVs are now being fitted with the Michelin cross climate tyres so we don't have to change between summer and winter tyres. They work, but aren't as good a as a full winter tyre

In answer to the title, no they aren't pointless. Winter tyres work.

Driving skills my arse. You don't even need to be in a RWD BMW to make progress in the snow.