Winter Tyres

hexah

hexah

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Well it's the law in Finland, so yes, putting mine on next weekend.
 
More awareness and skill from Drivers would help too: Every time we have adverse conditions the roads are plagued by people with an inflated idea of their ability: Too fast, too close, no lights, on the phone ....
 
Driving round town in the evening this week its been alarming how many vehicles have a headlight out.


When was the last time you checked all YOUR lights worked?? I had a number plate light out when I checked - the bulb was fine, a wire had rattled off its connector and was dangling forlornly behind the fitting.
 
I'm among the small minority who do a full lamp check every couple of weeks; But sod's law dictates that any failure will occur the day after the last check!
 
Not that these roads are 'busy' at night but the worst offenders are tractors. Either there is a venerable one with no rear lights and one working headlight, or someone driving a brand new one back from night ploughing with loads of rear facing floodlights which he hasn't bothered to turn off, which from a distance makes it look like a UFO. At least there'd be no excuse for not seeing it....
 
I keep an eye on the obvious lights like headlights in reflections of cars at traffic lights or when driving up to the garage door but don't do a full check that often. I did get caught out last year when one of the rear lights went and was only picked up at the yearly MOT. On my car each side has two bulbs so it's not that obvious from a quick glance if one has gone...
 
Tivù said:
More awareness and skill from Drivers would help too: Every time we have adverse conditions the roads are plagued by people with an inflated idea of their ability: Too fast, too close, no lights, on the phone ....
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As a mechanic i see the worst of peoples lack of interest in their cars ability to perform through the winter months. I'm not going to go on about this but this statement above is SO true.
 
I will be fitting winter tyres to both my MG and my Vectra in the next few weeks as i do every year. Best and cheapest place i have found to get them from is mytyres.com. I haven't been let down by them yet.

One thing to bare in mind of how ludicrous the rules are and how UK insurance companies will do anything to screw money out of you or even worse to avoid paying out, make sure you inform your insurance company that you have fitted them as with most it will void your insurance if you are involved in an accident and they don't know you have fitted them as its classed as a modification according to UK insurance companies. Some companies just make a note and others will increase your premium for making your car safer in the winter.

Makes you proud to live in this crappy country doesn't it where even safety comes at a premium. It should be made law here that you have to have winter tyres fitted during the winter months as it is in Canada and most Scandinavian countries, if anything the law should be passed just to p**s off the money grabbing barstewards who insure your car.

Nano
 
I've got some winter tyres on my push bike, does that count ? Lol

Funny you should say about car headlights.

On my short journey each day on push bike, I've noticed rather a lot of cars having 1 light nearly out on the front headlights.
 
The weather in this country shouldnt need the expense of fitting winter tyres.......Snow tyres possibly but even then theyre best for prolonged periods of snow. Too much running round on tarmac in snow tyres destroys them rapidly. Better thought about weather conditions,road conditions and driving within your means is paramount.
 
Apart from basic personal responsibility, a big problem with lights is that in so many cars nowadays it is nigh on impossible to change the bulbs without being a double-jointed midget with a capacious wallet.
 
True , those Renault megane mk2 are always fun!!!
 
The reason that Winter tyres are a good idea is they're made with a softer rubber compound, so they remain sticky (I.E. have good traction) in colder weather where regular all season or summer tyre will have a harder compound that gets too hard to be of any good in cold weather, so regardless of whether or not they wear out faster, it's better to have grip than to slide about as if your car is on office chair castors... :lol:

After all, do you really want to be made a laughing stock by an arriva bus? :lol:

 
Good one: That reminds me of another widespread failing by car drivers - the assumption that on snow or ice engaging first and giving it the full beans is of any value whatsoever. Clueless.
 
Studded tyres already fitted for the next 4 - 5 months only sort that are safe in rural central southern norway:D
 
The acronym 'FLOWER'

Fuel, Lights, Oil, Water, Electrics, and Rubber
 
Yep. Never go out in the car without topping up on Rubber.
 
skomedal said:
Studded tyres already fitted for the next 4 - 5 months only sort that are safe in rural central southern norway:D
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I have a friend from central Sweden whose papa wouldn't let her drive unsupervised during the icy times of year even though he always used very expensive premium studded tyres. After a few years he decided he had trained her well enough and let her drive unsupervised.

When she was in Britain I got a lift off her. Before I got in the car her m8 said she drove a bit like a snail. Ok I said at least we will get there alive. It was the middle of summer. After a few minutes I realized she was driving in exactly the same way she would drive on snow!


:-rofl2


Now I drive the same way all year round :oops: because it is the most economical way to drive.
 
Seriously thinking of getting some winter tyres this year, only problem is storing whichever set I'm not using, may see if I can get four secondhand wheels, would make life easier.
 
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