Perhaps, but at the same time, a competent driver should not need "skid preparation" practice in the first place.

 

Said driver certainly should not need to abuse an empty icy car park (which is almost certainly private property) by driving like a pillock to force a loss of control. I would argue that a driver needing such 'practice' shouldn't be on the road in those conditions in the first place.

 

Car preparation (e.g. winter or all-weather tyres, and adequate equipment in the boot like snow chains, salt and a tow rope of you get stuck), along with sensible, competent driving with speeds and handling commensurate with the conditions should be sufficient. If it isn't - the driver should be leaving the car at home.

FWIW - I can handle a car competently in ice and snow - in part because I am a sensible driver like most people, and also because I kit the car out for the conditions of the season:

 

Winter or all-weather tyres - I used to use Uniroyal winter tyres on steel rims when I was still doing 25,000 miles a year. Now my mileage is much lower, I have switched to Michelin CrossClimate all-weather tyres.

Winter driving equipment bag in the boot - my emergency "just in case" kit that goes into the car at the end of summer:

• Tow Rope
• Small shovel
• Salt
• Traction boards
• Snow chains
• Cleats (to go on my shoes so I don't slip over unsticking the car)
• Hi-vis jacket
• Grippy gloves

Hi-vis vests, warning lights and triangle live in the car all year round. As does the spare bulbs.

 

11 hours ago, VWD said:

Perhaps it's not the car that needs to get ready for winter, but the driver. How many drivers find an icy empty car park and get into skid on ice mode ready for when they might have problems. But then , this skid preparation is for one real purpose- TO TEACH HOW TO DRIVE SO AS NOT TO SKID.

That's from the thoughts of an older driver ( 50+ years on road, with at least 2.5million miles under belt in conditions from desert sands & waterlogged roads to dig yourself out snow & ice).

 

Last time we had snow up my way I tried this - they just would not slip! TCS, ABS and especially the ESP - the car doesn't seem to care if its on snow, ice or normal

Have put the winters on the Spark in readiness for tonight's snow !

Winter tyres on icy roads -

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1114452_do-winter-tires-help-when-its-dry-and-cold

Grampian News Weather Report tonight.

 

'Sleet & Snow over the Highlands possible'. 

So that is the Highlands of Scotland type thing. 

 

Bring on the Winter Tyre threads & how to stop ice forming inside the cars from the London Area.

We had our first light frost two days ago.  Was a bit of a surprise.

 

Gaz

20 hours ago, V6TDI said:

We had our first light frost two days ago.  Was a bit of a surprise.

 

Gaz

 

One of the advantages of the NIssan Leaf is that when I saw the frost this morning I logged on via my phone and set the pre heat to 22 degrees. It was toasty and frost free when I got it. Can't say the same for my wife's golf https://photos.app.goo.gl/Kwigb8LddynD5KKa7

 

I was amazed to see you much colder it was in the south of Scotland this morning than further North.

So after the couple of days of cold weather I decide to round of the servicing/washing etc of my car with swapping over to the winter alloys.....

 

 

& its currently 23.4C outside & I'm fecking baking hot!!………..

 

someone's having a laugh....

BBC are making it sound like being wintry in just over a weeks time.

Sounds about right then for October into November in the UK.

 

Salt stocks are in.

Edited 22 October, 20187 yr by Offski

When you would rather block off half a car park rather than risk trampling leaves into your car. 

 

The Fiat 500 parked directly behind the Punto is parked just in front of the line of leaves as well. 

 

It bodes well for when the weather really turns. 

7 minutes ago, Fin69 said:

When you would rather block off half a car park rather than risk trampling leaves into your car. 

 

The Fiat 500 parked directly behind the Punto is parked just in front of the line of leaves as well. 

 

It bodes well for when the weather really turns. 

Unbeleafable. 

Still British Summer Time and clocks do not go back a hour until midnight 

but snow gates closed this morning in Scotland at Glenshee A93 & the Lecht A939.

http://trafficscotland.org

 

I had my Snow tyres on in time but still had to do a extra 50 miles of a detour.

 

Edited 27 October, 20187 yr by Offski

https://t.co/4aiH7HXhov
(https://twitter.com/trafficscotland/status/1073228630543745024?s=03)

We're dooooomed..... 

 

All joking aside, with the amount of reports of RTC's and BDV's local to me that filled up my twitter feed over the last few days, I'm dreading this weekend. 

 

CARmagedon inbound. Speed fast. 

 

 

Just sayin'

 

 

There is a bitty sna and it is blowing.

http://lecht.co.uk/webcam

http://ski-glenshee.co.uk/Snowroad-webcams

 

http://trafficscotland.org/weatherstations

http://trafficscotland.org/currentincidents

 

Edited 17 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

Getting to be that time again.

Doors, hatches, filler flaps.

 

 

Make sure you get your tyres ordered.

 

With shutting down of the car tyre plant at Dundee nearly all tyres come from mainland Europe, like most everything lese we consume, so order them before BREXIT as duties and supply chain will change !!!

 

 

It is the Michelin Factory closed in Dundee so only really going to bother those after Michelins.

As it is Michelin owns Blackcircles and ATS Euromaster who will get you tyres from where ever.

 

Time will tell if prices rise, there might be lots of tyres being flogged cheaply in the UK with World Trade Tariffs, 

Cargo ships maybe on their way right now to unload these items.

5 hours ago, Roottootemoot said:

It is the Michelin Factory closed in Dundee so only really going to bother those after Michelins.

As it is Michelin owns Blackcircles and ATS Euromaster who will get you tyres from where ever.

Time will tell if prices rise, there might be lots of tyres being flogged cheaply in the UK with World Trade Tariffs, 

Cargo ships maybe on their way right now to unload these items.

 

Michelin own several other brands apparently .........   BFGoodrich, Kleber, Tigar, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal (in US !).

But no substantial UK production any more.

 

I gather import duties of 4.5% will apply within the No Deal Emergency tariff Hard BREXIT.  

I am working with tyre importers to deliver containers from those places in Europe that still make car tyres.

The combination of customs duties, customs import fees and procedures may add a few quid to each tyre and that is without considering any effect of currency movements due to BREXIT.

 

As Fred Pontin said, Book/Buy early  !!

 

http://www.worldstopexports.com/rubber-tires-exports-country/  

1. China: US$15.1 billion (18.9% of total new rubber tires exports)
2. Germany: $6 billion (7.5%)
3. Japan: $5.1 billion (6.4%)
4. United States: $5.1 billion (6.4%)
5. Thailand: $4.9 billion (6.1%)
6. South Korea: $3.5 billion (4.3%)
7. France: $2.8 billion (3.5%)
8. Netherlands: $2.5 billion (3.2%)
9. Spain: $2.5 billion (3.1%)
10. Poland: $2.4 billion (3%)
11. Czech Republic: $2.1 billion (2.6%)
12. Slovakia: $2 billion (2.6%)
13. India: $1.8 billion (2.3%)
14. Hungary: $1.7 billion (2.1%)
15. Romania: $1.7 billion (2.1%)

   

How many tyres are already in the UK and sitting waiting for buyers?

 

Tyre buyers, wholesellers, distributors are not stupid.

3 hours ago, Roottootemoot said:

How many tyres are already in the UK and sitting waiting for buyers?

 

Tyre buyers, wholesellers, distributors are not stupid.

 

Huge warehouse, huge container movements.

 

Less tyres per container as tyres have got bigger.

 

We more everything from car tyres to agricultural herring bone type where you only get a few in a container.

 

Britain needs several million tyres per year so quite a supply exercise !

On 16/10/2017 at 10:33, S00perb said:

 

Last time we had snow up my way I tried this - they just would not slip! TCS, ABS and especially the ESP - the car doesn't seem to care if its on snow, ice or normal

I based my recommendations on 50 + years on the road, with my first cars having radial tyres / RWD and non treated roads. I now drive a car with only ABS. I seldom get problems in snow. But I do keep a pair of old bits of car mat in the boot in case I get stuck in a car park.