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Seems it has to be said twice for people to hear !!

Cheers  Ratty

Quote: Originally posted by LegsDownKettleOn on 11/1/2010

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The biggest problem industry faces with the snow is the lazy ****s who decide they won't go to work because they have seen some snow. My kids school shut on the Monday before Christmas because of bad whether, shut again the following morning, but opened in the afternoon to take the kids to a pantomime some 15 miles away. You cannot seriously tell me that was not down to the teachers wanting some time off to do their christmas shopping, but they couldn't bear the thought of missing the opportunity to go to see a pantomime for free!

I travel 15 miles to work and have never yet had a "snow day" yet I know many people who think they are entitled to have 5 "snow days" a year. Yes I do drive a 4x4, but only for the last year, previously, I had a rear wheel drive saloon car; the worst possible combination for snow and ice.

The only way around this is for employers to toughen up on work-shy staff who won't go to work.

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There have been, and probably always will be those who will take advantage of a situation.  Remember though that establishments (like schools) are not always closed because of problems travelling.  There are other issues e.g. heating, water (toilets), and conditions around the site.  Secondary schools in particular often require students to move between buildings... and now in the UK we have an entirely new industry.... health and safety!

I have not towed during this present snowy period - I don't think I would risk it, but even not living in a city, I have not found it a particular problem.  Remember in this forum, it it towing caravans and trailers we should be interested in.  I can't see the need to buy special tyre for the car and the caravan for such a short period of time, unless they were used all year.

Does anyone know if these 'snow tyres' are any more expensive than the standard ones?

Quote: Originally posted by Sproz on 13/1/2010

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winter tyres simply have tapered tread blocks so the snow/slush gets "thrown" out instead of blocking the treads making them like slicks. The tread blocks are also a different shape to grip slightly better. I have used them in Germany in the alps, better than normal tyres but not a miracle!!

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There's a little more to it than that. The rubber compound is different, designed to operate better below 7C, whereas normal (summer) tyres with good tread depth will give you better grip above that temperature.

I think there's little doubt that winter tyres are better and safer to drive on in the winter, but so would having a tracked vehicle in the garage, just in case. You have to keep a sense of proportion. Most people get by fine in most weather. Occassionally they get caught out. That's the price they pay for not shelling out several hundreds of quid on a set of rubber that has to be stored, refitted, unfitted and stored again - if they are actually needed at all.

Perhaps tyre companies could come up with a compound and tread formulation that better suited British weather conditions, rather than the one-type-fits-all summer tyres that they sell everywhere.

Quote: Originally posted by LegsDownKettleOn on 13/1/2010

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I though most of the tyres in the UK were actually "all weather" rather than summer tyres. A good quality tyre makes a massive difference too in slippery conditions. The biggest difference though is made by the tread depth. If you have tyres that are close to the legal limit (or below it!) then the grip in wet and slushy conditions is vastly reduced in comparison to a new tyre. Ironically, in sunny conditions, the opposite is the case and a bald tyre will actually grip better than a new one. Try telling that to the magistrate!

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Summer tyres would be useless anyway as we don't get summers!!!! although now we have had a winter we may actually get summer....maybe?????

totally agree about the tread depth, this is one of the reasons why the winter tyres grip better, watch a winter tyre going though snow and you see loads of slush/snow being thrown off it, on a normal tyre the treads just get caked up.

The arrangement would be to change tyres at the beginning of December and keep them on until the end of February. Easiest way would be a spare set of wheels.

The cost wouldn't be excessive bearing in mind the wear would be spread between both sets. It also gives a chance to rotate the tyres if needed.

They not only help in snow, but improve grip generally in wintery conditions i.e. when below 7 deg C on wet roads which is most of the time for Dec to Feb. Hopefully they would reduce accidents under these conditions.