Petition for legislation for winter and all season tyres

[Big J]

On 1/2/2018 at 16:12, inthewoods said:

Thought this was a joke at first!. 

 

How about a petition for better driving standards, more lessons, harder test etc. 

 

A five minute drive on the motorway will tell you all the training shortfalls out there. 

 

So with drivers at a higher standard than now (shouldn't be too hard!) we wouldn't need winter tyres forced upon us as another bleeding tax 

 

Why do they need to be mutually exclusive?

 

I agree that driving training is inadequate in this country, but the fact remains that 99% of tyres used in the UK are for a season that we don't really get. Almost all of Europe has hotter summers than us. 

 

The fact remains that for most of the UK, on balance, you are safer on all season (or all season summer bias) tyres over the course of the year. No amount of driver training will make up for having tyres that have virtually no grip in ice and snow. I repeat, almost no grip. You're in a 1.5 tonne toboggan. 

[Richard 1234]

 
Why do they need to be mutually exclusive?
 
I agree that driving training is inadequate in this country, but the fact remains that 99% of tyres used in the UK are for a season that we don't really get. Almost all of Europe has hotter summers than us. 
 
The fact remains that for most of the UK, on balance, you are safer on all season (or all season summer bias) tyres over the course of the year. No amount of driver training will make up for having tyres that have virtually no grip in ice and snow. I repeat, almost no grip. You're in a 1.5 tonne toboggan. 

I don’t think all season tyres are a bad idea, but millions of people manage to get about on summer tyres without crashing every winter. Certainly south of for arguments sake sheffield I don’t see the need for winter tyres.
Up in Scotland I can see they would help.
Maybe another way would be to encourage tyre manufacturers to stop making “summer” tyres and go for all season tyres by maybe some kind of tax relief perhaps on all season tyres? Or higher tax on summer tyres.
Draconian rules won’t happen I don’t think.

[Stubby]

What compound would a tyre marked Mud and Snow have ?  ( Cooper STT pro ) Does the  fact that it is marked snow  mean it is a winter compound  or is that not the case ?

[Big J]

On 1/4/2018 at 00:32, Richard 1234 said:

 

I don’t think all season tyres are a bad idea, but millions of people manage to get about on summer tyres without crashing every winter. Certainly south of for arguments sake sheffield I don’t see the need for winter tyres.
Up in Scotland I can see they would help.
Maybe another way would be to encourage tyre manufacturers to stop making “summer” tyres and go for all season tyres by maybe some kind of tax relief perhaps on all season tyres? Or higher tax on summer tyres.
Draconian rules won’t happen I don’t think.

 

I agree with the idea of tax relief. I think my original idea of getting the government to legislate was unworkable. 

 

You say that millions of people get around OK on summer tyres through winter, but I really feel that our attitudes towards tyres are similar to how they were towards seatbelts (historically). You've no need for a seatbelt until you get into an unfortunate situation and then when you do, they could save your life. You've no need for all season tyres until you completely fail to stop on an icy stretch of road, or plough straight on when attempting to turn on a dusting of snow. 

 

We've just had all seasons fitted to the car. I shall report back on performance.

 

Stubby - I would say if it's marked mud and snow it will be a winter tyre. Mud tyres tend to have quite a soft compound I believe. It is however an off road tyre so winter performance on the road will be poorer than a road orientated winter tyre.

[josharb87]

Might be better aiming at "having suitable tyres for the conditions" to determine blame in the event of an accident/insurance complications if using unsuitable tyres for the road conditions. This could prevent people "risking it" for an unnecessary journey.

 

Here its compulsory to have winter tyres (studded or non studded) between 1st december and 31st march IF its winter conditions on the road. 

Its also allowed to have them fitted anytime in the year IF its winter conditions, and between 1st oct-15 april (when its likely to be winter conditions)

 

Winter conditions = if there is snow, ice, sludge, or frost on any part of the road, (includes verge). It is the police who determine the conditions at your location.

 

@Stubby the law here states that tyres marked with M+S or Mud and Snow are approved winter tyres. 

However in my experience the mud terrain style tyres are not as good as the less aggressive looking Winter specific tyres when theres frost/ice under the snow.

 

A possible consequence of your idea BigJ would be that trailers also need winter tyres if the to vehicle has them fitted, again, here, the trailer needs the best grip - so if the vehicle has studded tyres the trailer must have studded tyres, if the vehicle has non-studded winter tyres the trailer can have either studded or non-studded winter tyres. with your proposal it would be sensible that if the vehicle has winter tyres the trailer must also have winter tyres- not just summer tyres.

Subsequently the corner of my workshop looks like a tyre dealers  

 

[Big J]

The Swedes do love a bit of legislation! I don't think that having all season tyres is a bad idea for trailers. When you consider that most tyres on trailers are replaced due to rubber fatigue rather than tread wear, a softer compound wouldn't go amiss. 

 

Another thought. Having all season tyres on your car means you can legally travel into the parts of Europe that require suitable tyres in winter. On summer tyres you are breaking the law.

[Stubby]

Just as an aside ...Any one ever ridden a motorcycle in the rain on full wets ?  The grip is  totally bonkers . Take quite I bit of over coming your natural self preservation instinct to reach the limits  .

[Rich Rule]

I used to have the mud and snow symbols on my BFG AT's on my Hilux in the UK.

 

I have another Hilux here in Norway and enquired at the tyre shop about a price fin r the BFG AT's.  He said they are considered useless over here compared with standard winter tyres for a 4x4.  

 

Pretty similar to what Josh stated.

 

The grip that winters provide with or without studs is brilliant compared to summer tyres.

 

Literally, night and day.

 

[Justme]

On 1/4/2018 at 00:32, Richard 1234 said:

 

I don’t think all season tyres are a bad idea, but millions of people manage to get about on summer tyres without crashing every winter. Certainly south of for arguments sake sheffield I don’t see the need for winter tyres.
Up in Scotland I can see they would help.
Maybe another way would be to encourage tyre manufacturers to stop making “summer” tyres and go for all season tyres by maybe some kind of tax relief perhaps on all season tyres? Or higher tax on summer tyres.
Draconian rules won’t happen I don’t think.

 

You do realise that all of Wales is south of there?

 

[Big J]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42590142   - "Spate of crashes as temperatures plummet"

 

I wonder how many that would be if everyone had appropriate tyres on their vehicles?

Edited January 7, 2018 by Big J