Chains or winter tyres?

Any

Hi guys,

So far we avoided the snow calamity, however it is snowing as we speak.

I live in a rural hilly village and getting to work once we have snow is nightmare. Last year I managed to get to work every single day, even though people from not as hilly areas didn't. I did get to work late several times though-which proved very stresful as my boss is not very understanding.. And I did spend over 2 hrs on the road twice trying to get home in the masses of snow (7 mls journey).

So this year I am considering to carry chains for just in case. Or do you think I should bite the bullet and get winter tyres for piece of mind (obviously much more expensive option)?

It probably won't stop me from being late to work, because the problem is that once one person gets stucked on the hill noone can leave the village...

But it will make me feel better. The stress over getting stucked is not pleasant..

What would you do, or what have you done?

Lum

Both, ideally.

Winter tyres for driving in the cold, chains for when you're properly stuck in the snow.


That said I've just gone with chains as the winter wheels I bought were not the size advertised and wont fit my car. I'm doing ok so far.

exup

be careful with chains on some alloy wheels, but the other options are rubber snow chains - or snow socks, a friend tried them last winter on his RX8 and was very impressed when they got him out of a stuck situation

Any

As you are supposed to take the chains off for roads without "reasonable covering of snow", how do you deal with that on a journey?

I generally get on a busy bypass for part of my journey and that might be fairly clear from snow or even completely cleared by the council, while the beginning and end of my journey is side street where is usually loads of snow..

Could you get stoped for using the chains on the bypass?

Any

exup wrote: »

be careful with chains on some alloy wheels, but the other options are rubber snow chains - or snow socks, a friend tried them last winter on his RX8 and was very impressed when they got him out of a stuck situation

Rubber snow chains? I've never heard of them before!!

My car is front wheel drive.. What if I get snow tyres fitted just on front?

Half the cost.. And I probably can manage to store just 2 tyres...

sunshinetours

Any wrote: »

As you are supposed to take the chains off for roads without "reasonable covering of snow", how do you deal with that on a journey?

I generally get on a busy bypass for part of my journey and that might be fairly clear from snow or even completely cleared by the council, while the beginning and end of my journey is side street where is usually loads of snow..

Could you get stoped for using the chains on the bypass?

You could get done for damaging the highway. Chains really are only for severe snow. Winter tyres would be by far better option for this country IMO. If you change them over each season you should get a few years out of each set so not really more expensive as you are just advancing the cost of buying new tyres

pstuart

If chains are legal in the UK, which I doubt, they can't be used at over 30mph (Ford handbook 2010 Mondeo).

Any

sunshinetours wrote: »

You could get done for damaging the highway. Chains really are only for severe snow. Winter tyres would be by far better option for this country IMO. If you change them over each season you should get a few years out of each set so not really more expensive as you are just advancing the cost of buying new tyres

It is one off large payout... If I could just go and pay out £300 without having to account for it I wouldn't be here asking questions...

Would be a nice life though..

Hintza

pstuart wrote: »

If chains are legal in the UK, which I doubt, they can't be used at over 30mph (Ford handbook 2010 Mondeo).

Doubt you could drive even at that speed with chains on tarmac.

Any

pstuart wrote: »

If chains are legal in the UK, which I doubt, they can't be used at over 30mph (Ford handbook 2010 Mondeo).

Halfords and all the places that sell them would not sell them if they were illegal...

Appart from AA advise I cannot find anywhere explicitly said there are legal, but neither can I find explicitly said they are illegal at all times...

However as I say AA does recommend them for heavy snow and also says that you have to take them off if insufficient covering of snow..

Inactive

Come on people, before last winter, when was the last time we had any snow to worry about in the greater part of the UK ( not including Scotland ) ???

The little bit we had last winter wasn't really worth worrying about.

Yet here we are talking about snow chains .. :eek: