Autocar Winter Tyre Test on Yeti

[oldstan]

Hardly something to boast about, more like irresponsible

See the commentary from 1minute 42 seconds in the Autocar video. Along the lines of..."we're only going up to 30 mph as anything faster than that in these conditions would be suicidal".

I've recently seen similar claims, posted on the net, of winter tyre equipped car drivers doing 50mph in the, uncleared, right hand, lane whilst others "were content to 'dawdle' along at 20 mph" in the lane cleared and gritted by a snowplough. And, as was to be expected, the majority replied that 50mph in several inches of snow passing a lane of drivers doing 20 or perhaps 30mph in a relatively safe 'convoy' was not such a good idea.

[MCAMRA]

Totally agree with Stevehg.

Whether you have 'winter' tyres on or not, you still have to take into consideration the conditions and more importantly other motorists. Most people are not confident in snow regardless of their tyre choice. Just because you are on 'winters' and you can brake more confidently and travel at 'x' amount of speed, the chances are the person behind or in front of you probably cant. Likewise in overtaking and every other driving senerio. Putting winter tyres on is a wise decision, but it wont make you infallible if you not drive not in accordance to the conditions...and conditions include other motorists.

We all cant drive on winters for financial reasons, storage, and 'lack of point' due to global warming etc etc. So when the snow does comes, it annoys me to hell when I see other drivers 'clearly on winter tyre' showing utter disrespect for other motorists. I see it every year, and I bet you most of them are from the city !!!!

[Brijo]

.....50mph in several inches of snow passing a lane of drivers doing 20 or perhaps 30mph ....was not such a good idea.

Indeed. What about driving with '...due care...'?

[ejstubbs]

The conclusion seems to make the assumption that you'd buy a 4x4 for the snow. It doesn't take into account the benefit of 4wd for the rest of the year.

I would agree with you there.

I run ... summers on superb 4x4 estate as for the few days of bad snow a year we have here, it doesn't justify winters.

I would take issue with that statement. To paraphrase your own, earlier words:

You seem to be making the assumption that you'd buy winter tyres for the snow. You don't seem to have taken in to account the benefits of winter tyres in more frequently-experienced winter weather conditions ie cold (winter tyres' rubber compounds are designed to be softer and grippier in temperatures below ~7C than summer tyres) and/or damp/wet (my winter tyres are noticeably more capable, less "twitchy" than my summers when going through deep standing water).

Not that I'm condoning anyone that does.

I think you mean condemning.

[Huskoda]

See the commentary from 1minute 42 seconds in the Autocar video. Along the lines of..."we're only going up to 30 mph as anything faster than that in these conditions would be suicidal".

I've recently seen similar claims, posted on the net, of winter tyre equipped car drivers doing 50mph in the, uncleared, right hand, lane whilst others "were content to 'dawdle' along at 20 mph" in the lane cleared and gritted by a snowplough. And, as was to be expected, the majority replied that 50mph in several inches of snow passing a lane of drivers doing 20 or perhaps 30mph in a relatively safe 'convoy' was not such a good idea.

I have to say, the fastest I feel comfortable doing on snow is 35 mph. It gets a little twitchy above that. That is with winter tyres and 4x4, too. I am also concerned that they may be a brick or similar under the snow so wouldn't try and drive at full speed.

[hmibennett]

Absolutely. I live in fear and dread of me (or any of my nearest and dearest) being passed by people doing 50 in poor conditions.

[Peter a Proud Yorkshireman]

Warley Moor road Wainstalls Halifax following heavy snow still drifting in a strong wind a week last Monday 1000+ feet up between Halifax and Oxenhope, a 6 mile stretch of little used track type road only ever used as a shortcut, never ploughed and part of it is un surfaced and pot holed. Only visited by off roaders and courting couples. With no discernable tyre tracks and a lorry stuck due to dashboard Doris with brother in law as co pilot (they who must be obeyed refused to come with us!!) 10 inches of snow drifting to 3ft.

Two 60+ idiots in a Yeti came across two struggling Land Rovers and Nissan but Yorkie sailed on never slipping, up and down with the technology working a treat but the big difference the tyres, gather USA police fit these!

The lorry was there for 3 days and featured on local BBC news.Must have ignored the road closed sign too!!

Yeti + 4 wheel drive + Eagle GW3 Ultragrip + 2 idiots one driving really steadily.....am az ing.

.

Cheers

Peter

[patnmand]

I think the point here is that neither winter tyres nor 4WD make you infallible. I get massively irritated by 4WD drivers who think they can drive in snow like they would on tarmac: as the video clearly shows, 4WD on its own does not help you stop or steer any better in the snow than any other car. Winter tyres also don't make you infallible, and anyone driving at high speeds in snow/ice is asking for trouble.

[armayeti]

I mentioned this in a previous post - Driving a vehicle with 4x4 and winter tyres does not improve your eyesight when travelling at speed in snow when visibility is poor. Maybe the brainy Yeti owners could also work out the following:

2 wheel drive with summer tyres travelling in snow at 25mph - What is the braking distance?

4 wheel drive with winter tyres travelling in snow at 50mph - What is the braking distance?

Although I have a Yeti 4x4 fitted with winter tyres, I drive a variety of vehicles due to my work as a driver with a global organisation. I've seen some crazy incidents on Scotland's killer road, the A9, which is the main arterial route through the highlands. Over the past two weeks I've witnessed 4x4 drivers travelling in snow covered outside lanes overtaking convoys of vehicles travelling at 25 - 30mph. I don't have any speed detection equipment but my experience tells me that most of the 4x4 drivers were travelling in excess of 40mph. Some were going even faster. I was driving at various times but on two occasions it was dark, snowing heavily and visibility was extremely poor.

I haven't directed my comments to anyone in particular, it's just an observation.

Jim

[oldstan]

"I haven't directed my comments to anyone in particular, it's just an observation."

Indeed so, but I believe the quote that probably inspired the thought was this one........

"During a blizzard I was driving at 50 on a 50 road behind a Toyota Hilux, in the outside lane while everyone else was crawling along at 20mph in the inside lane. The car felt quite grounded in 2 inches of fresh snow."

And having re-read the post I believe Big Husky was just enjoying a bit of a wind-up. He hasn't been back to defend driving down the outside lane at 50mph in two inches of snow behind a Hilux whilst everyone else was driving, what at least sounds like, somewhat more sensibly in the nearside lane.

[patnmand]

In terms of using the outside lane I don't think I have a particular problem as long as people do it sensibly rather than as an excuse to show off. Comes Back to my point about invincibility I suppose

Sent from my GT-I9100P using Tapatalk 2

[oldstan]

In terms of using the outside lane I don't think I have a particular problem as long as people do it sensibly rather than as an excuse to show off. Comes Back to my point about invincibility I suppose

Sent from my GT-I9100P using Tapatalk 2

Eyebrows were raised at the supposed act of doing 50mph in a blizzard ...apparently in fresh snow a couple inches deep ....which, as was pointed out, rather impairs braking distances no matter how effective the tyres.

[manxskoda]

Peter the Proud Yorkshireman, I take my hat off to you.I used to live just down the road in Highroadwell, and remember well the Winters we used to get up there.Wainstalls was a no no in the bad snow. Credit due!!!!!

Tony

[Anzio]

And the people doing 50 in the outside lane in the snow, are the same ones doing 80/90 in the same lane when it's p*****g down or misty. It doesn't matter what tyres they have on, they are brain dead morons.

[mikep]

My goodness this has inspired some bile!

You do yourselves no credit making unsubstantiated claims about people who drive safely in difficult conditions well within the capabilities of their vehicles. You may not feel comfortable, but that probably reflects more on you than them.

To make the leap then to suggesting these people will drive at 80-90 in dangerous conditions, is ludicrous. Well done guys you've done yourselves proud.

I'm not advocating high speed driving in snow, especially in busy conditions, that's clearly nuts. But where driving well within the capabilities of the vehicle in conditions where it's perfectly safe to do so seems natural, even if its at 50 on the outside lane of a snow covered motorway. If you don't agree, that's fine, but don't criticise people who are perfectly safe doing so, even if you aren't.

[oldstan]

My goodness this has inspired some bile!

Yup, no disputing that.

[BigHusky]

Whoa whoa whoa! I didn't even realise my comments had caused any reaction?? For 3 winters I have driven in snowy conditions (hard to avoid in the north-east) with these winter tyres being a new experience. Firstly being very cautious, and again depending on the conditions, driving up and down hills, country roads, usually in at the weekend, when no-one is around to see what the tyres are capable of. Testing, testing and testing again.

On the occasion I mentioned earlier, the council had gritted the road the snow had been falling for 20 minutes or so, this journey would have normally taken 15 minutes, but turned into a 1 hour trip due to everyone panicking at the first sign of snow. As I was driving up the (snowy) outside lane, other motorists joined behind me, maybe realising it wasn't so bad after all? The police in a Volvo also joined the outside lane, eventually I had to rejoin the left lane and turned off. I am sure the police if they thought I was out of control, would have pulled me over? The car felt steady as a rock, no warning lights came on, I slowed down using the gears or just gently coming off the pedal ( though I don';t see why I have to justify my actions?) I am sure the police also made this conclusion?

When the tyres arrived from MyTyres, no-where did I see a sticker/letter warning that the tyres cannot be used over 45mph in snow? At the end of the day you as a driver should 'feel' the road if there is snow/ice etc and make an informed decision on what speed to travel. If that dual carriageway had frozen, not fresh snow lying, I would of driven at a speed appropriate to the conditions.

Overall I think there to many snipy comments made on the Yeti section, I don't know how someone can make judgemental statements on a situation which they where not in? I feel as though I am a courteous driver who gives way to other motorists,lets people pull out of junctions etc, not some boy racing nutcase!

[Anzio]

My goodness this has inspired some bile!

You do yourselves no credit making unsubstantiated claims about people who drive safely in difficult conditions well within the capabilities of their vehicles. You may not feel comfortable, but that probably reflects more on you than them.

To make the leap then to suggesting these people will drive at 80-90 in dangerous conditions, is ludicrous. Well done guys you've done yourselves proud.

I'm not advocating high speed driving in snow, especially in busy conditions, that's clearly nuts. But where driving well within the capabilities of the vehicle in conditions where it's perfectly safe to do so seems natural, even if its at 50 on the outside lane of a snow covered motorway. If you don't agree, that's fine, but don't criticise people who are perfectly safe doing so, even if you aren't.

OK, so explain why you and a couple of others think you are "perfectly safe". How do you know? Have you some kind of qualification the rest of us don't know about?

Or maybe you are one of the clan who "think" they are the best drivers in the world. Sometimes the truth hurts.

[mikep]

Lets turn it round the other way, in what way are you qualified to say its not safe?

Mine is based on specific training and experience over 40years of driving and no, I don't consider myself 'better' than the rest.

Sometimes others are constrained by people driving very carefully for their experience, conditions, vehicle etc. hence long queues behind vehicles on single carriageways, snowy motorways etc. etc.

When you understand the specific circumstances, you will be qualified to express an opinion, where you don't its better to keep opinions to yourself.

The truth never hurts.

[Dinski]

I'm inclined to agree with big husky, he made a judgement call on how safe he feels with the car the tyres the scenario. Only he could see what his situation was and how safe it was.

That was his decision to make no matter how much some of us may disagree, I drive within my limits as others drive within theirs.

He has obviously done the same.

No argument from me... and most importantly no one was hurt!

Edited 3 February, 2013 by Dinski

[wakev]

:wonder: what was this topic about :no: I'll have to go back and start at the top

Autocar winter tyre test on a yeti. That was it, has drifted off a bit I think.

[Norry]

, but don't criticise people who are perfectly safe doing so, even if you aren't.

That should be "who THINK they are perfectly safe doing so". But that is not how road safety works! There are hundreds of accidents every day involving people who THINK they are driving safely.

We all need to drive with quite a large margin of safety if accidents are to be avoided.

[oldstan]

The implication, on the whole, correctly, seems to be that the skills of different drivers allow them to drive to prevailing conditions with a degree of safety proportionate to those conditions, taking those skills in to account.

The other aspect which seems to be overlooked, however, is the ability of the VEHICLE to react to those conditions.

So the point of conflict here, in my opinion, seems to revolve around whether the VEHICLE can be controlled and respond to, say, an enforced braking or direction deviation occurrence as quickly in the apparent blizzard conditions as effectively it could in normal, dry, conditions at 50 mph. And, as is argued above, a percentage of posters think that the vehicle would not, irrespective of driver skill, stop or swerve as well at a claimed 50mph if an unforeseen situation occurred (with heavy snow in the air and a couple of inches underfoot).

So I see little scope for agreement but hope the thread doesn't descend to vitriol.

I would add though that I come at this one with a jaundiced eye having, at close quarters and over about 28 years in the job which necessitated it, eased a variety of smashed and bloody body parts from a selection of deformed vehicles which have collided with all manner of obstacles...the worst of which is often lamp-posts and trees which slice through the sides of vehicles with ease. And, of course, the vehicles slide/skid into the posts sideways and whilst doing so are beyond the control of their drivers........many of whom would have, I'm sure, considered their driving skills to be far too superior to allow this unfortunate thing to be happening to them.

And you'll have to take my word for it but, judging by the screaming noises they make it seems to hurt quite a lot.

Edited 3 February, 2013 by oldstan

[Truthseeker]

Just to add my opinion......50mph on a 50mph speed limit road or even 70mph motorway in snow/slush, no matter how good a driver you are or "think" you are is madness. I don't care if you have a 4WD with winter tyres........sheer madness. Please feel free to comment but you will not change my opinion. Perhaps the Police that was following BigHusky were mental as well, as I have witnessed plenty of suicidal Police driving.

[Dinski]

I think people on this subjec,, will have to agree to disagree. No matter who believes they are in the right.

We should get back to the topic "auto car winter tyre test". I as the other matter in my opinion will not be resolved and could go on for a long, long time.