Does the law need changing vote

neilmcl

Johno100 wrote: »

So, four winter tyres, four alloys (I wouldn't be seen dead with steel rims on my car) and the cost of a storage unit for five or six months, some people are obviously made of money.

Bit less right foot as appropriate and switch to a slightly less aggressive remap will do for me.

If you want to reduce winter accidents then a better option would be to ban rear wheel drive cars between November and March.

This "made of money" argument doesn't really stand up I'm afraid. As has already been posted, whilst you have your winters on you're extending, maybe even doubling, the life of your existing summer tyres, so over a period the difference in costs become negligible. The only difference, besides the spare set of wheels, is an upfront cost but the winter tyre user will always have the most appropriate tyres available to him. For that reason alone I'd rather pay a small sum to get a spare set of wheels, which could be offset btw by going for a smaller set of wheels & tyres than your existing set.

tberry6686

If you want to reduce winter accidents then a better option would be to ban rear wheel drive cars between November and March.

Or, alternatively just teach people to drive properly.

I only drive RWD cars and have never had a problem..

The problem isn't RWD its the person behind the wheel.

steve-L

Johno100 wrote: »

So, four winter tyres, four alloys (I wouldn't be seen dead with steel rims on my car) and the cost of a storage unit for five or six months, some people are obviously made of money.

On the continent storage is about 20 euros a year...

Bit less right foot as appropriate and switch to a slightly less aggressive remap will do for me.

Your probably already costing yourself money.... (on expensive tyres)
My PS3's have traction control on if I use half my power.

If you want to reduce winter accidents then a better option would be to ban rear wheel drive cars between November and March.

That is really not the problem.... see below...

Most winter accidents are probably caused by total loss of grip due to ice etc rather than reduced grip due to the tyre rubber being unsuitable.

They are almost certainly not.....
There have only been about 10-15 days where the road has snow or ice here in the SE and then mostly at night.
However there are accidents all winter.....

Nearly all the ones I see or happen on the A roads and motorways are actually people failing to slow down fast enough on cold and wet roads....

Of course we remember the car in the ditch/tree/lamp post .... but that is not 'most accidents' ... despite the UK in general being terrible at driving in snow/ice most accidents are not on snow/ice!

Despite the few days where the night has seen ice/frost the majority of accidents happen in rush hour on wet roads.

forgotmyname

The problem with RWD cars are they fit very wide tyres which are great in the dry, But on snow they just float.

But the same thing happens on lightweight FWD cars with silly wide tyres.

Fit super wide tyres to any lightweight car and it will aquaplane sooner than a heavy one on the same tyres.

Most situations can be cured by a decent branded tyre and sensible use of the right foot. And using common sense. Dont stop with your wheels in a dip.

One situation i watched some years back. Guy stopped right on the lip of a speedbump, Small one like one of the silly rubber ones. He couldnt climb over the bump due to lack of grip, But spent so long revving it by the time he decided to try backing up he had dug in and polished the surface so went nowhere.

MX5huggy

steve-L wrote: »

What has snow got to do with Winter tyres?
You just stated that temperatures are in the range where winter tyres perform much better than summer?

or do you not know what winter tyres are?

No 7 is the top temp where winter tyres are recommended the performance diffrence between a normal tyre at 7 and a winter tyre will be marginal. Hence why they show data for winter tyres at 0 compared to a normal tyre at 0.

The point I was making is that when I've had to scrape my car once in the morning this winter, quite simply it does not get cold enough for long enough to justif winter tyres let alone make then law. What tyres should I have been using last week when it was 15 with dry roads?

How oftern do you want me to be changing my wheels?

If I lived somewhere colder I would have them, the only cost is the second set of wheels, as when using the winter tyres I would be not using up the normall ones.

steve-L

MX5huggy wrote: »

No 7 is the top temp where winter tyres are recommended the performance diffrence between a normal tyre at 7 and a winter tyre will be marginal. Hence why they show data for winter tyres at 0 compared to a normal tyre at 0.

The point I was making is that when I've had to scrape my car once in the morning this winter, quite simply it does not get cold enough for long enough to justif winter tyres let alone make then law. What tyres should I have been using last week when it was 15 with dry roads?

How oftern do you want me to be changing my wheels?

If I lived somewhere colder I would have them, the only cost is the second set of wheels, as when using the winter tyres I would be not using up the normall ones.

Winter tyres are noticeably better below +7C and dramatically better below zero however they are also still a bit better at +10C and not any worse until about +12 - +15..(obviously it depends what you compare with what)... so when the temp is hovering between zero and +15 you could just leave on the winter tyres...

HOWEVER
Unless its actually snowing or -15C then All Season can give similar performance to Winter tyres... so realistically it means 3 months a year with All Season .... so own 2 sets of tyres and have them changed once in late autumn early winter and once in early spring/late spring (depending where you live)

IF drive on the continent in Winter.... you might be better with 1 pair summer and 1 pair winter... WHEELS .... once it snows then Winter tyres make a bigger difference .... and narrower rims also help so its worth having a second set of wheels

mattyprice4004

Norman_Castle wrote: »

You need a hobby.

I'm also thinking this.

Beachview_2

motorguy wrote: »

I think it should be law. And other than the price of four steel rims there should be no long term extra cost, because when you're using the winter tyres during the winter, your not wearing out your other tyres, so it all evens out.

Winter tyres are at their working temperature much lower than summer ones, so they provide a higher level of grip in colder weather. AND they are designed to have snow stick to them when its slowing, which is the most effecting way of getting grip in snow.

You don't even need to buy a set of steel rims for the winter tyres. I've got mines fitted on my standard alloys

Timay

photome wrote: »

If as you propose, it became law which IMO is ridiculous, what if people had no where to store 4 tyres and rims, what would you propose.

there are people who live in small flats with a single parking space, or without parking come to that

you would then buy all weather tyres. so you would still only have one set.

I do not see the point in making it law as you drive according to the conditions you are driving in.

i would not be bothered if they did make it law anyway as they would probably say it will be compulsory 3 years from a set date, which during that time most cars would require a new set of tyres

Loganfire

MX5huggy wrote: »

It's 8c today here it got down to 6 over night, the BBC promise 5 during the day and 3 overnight on Monday and Tuesday. We have had 0 days with snow on the ground this year. Should I be forced to buy winter tyres?

So your saying that three days is a good example for not having winter tyres? also not saying you should be force to put them on just asking if it should be law.

I have two cars in my family a new polo with winter tyres and an very old scooby with summer tyres if the law was changed then I would still have to find the expense of getting new winter tyres for the scooby which at present my overdraft would not allow. As for a job i am a HGV driver with an agency at the moment, but even I get scared when it snows or ice is on the road as I know how easy it is to jackknife an arctic even at very low speeds. If winter tyres where fitted to wagons there be less jackknifed wagon on the road during the winter.