We have all seen the videos where in ice and snow winter tyres can stop in up to half the distance of their equivalent summer. That's good news if you are using winters following a car on summers, but what about the reverse?

People often leave insufficient room in winter anyway, compound that with a car in front wearing winters followed by a car behind with summer tyres and the likely outcome is a greater percentage of collisions on our roads. Add to the fact that people with winter tyres will be more likely to venture out in snowy/icy conditions and the likelihood of this occurring is bound to increase as usage of winter tyres in the UK gathers with momentum. So, as more people use winter tyres in the UK, will this result in more accidents or less?

It's a situation that doesn't happen in countries where winter tyres are compulsory for periods of the year.

Cheers

Steve

Edited 18 November, 201312 yr by stevehg

While I do understand that people may have too much confidence with appropriate tyres on, its about the same as the idea that everyone will be safer if we all drove on ditchfinders in summer and brakes should be weaker. After all, someone in a 10 year old unmaintained rust bucket has far more chance of running into the back of an SLK if they're driving inappropriately. Tyres you have more control and traction on are safer, this is why they are compulsory in many countries.

 

Though, stationary cars on gridlocked roads are unlikely to hit each other, so yeah

Somehow during many years of winter driving I developed strong habit of checking rear view mirror while braking (especially if it is more aggressive braking as usual). That helped several times to avoid accidents - when seeing that the car behind was not able to stop adequately - I was either changing lanes or giving him more distance to stop.

If people fit them with a view to driving the same as in summer YES.

Although they help in winter, they don't do away with the need to slow down and take extra care due to poor weather.

wasn't the same said about ABS when it first got fitted to new cars

We have all seen the videos where in ice and snow winter tyres can stop in up to half the distance of their equivalent summer. That's good news if you are using winters following a car on summers, but what about the reverse?

wasn't the same said about ABS when it first got fitted to new cars

Maybe, but ABS doesn't cut breaking distances by half. That's quite a differential.

It would be non-sensical to say 'Car A brakes better than car B. Ban the sick filth making car A better!'

It would be non-sensical to say 'Car A brakes better than car B. Ban the sick filth making car A better!'

I wasn't proposing a ban, just posing question. If this occurs, a better solution may be to make winters compulsory in UK.

Having now used winters for two years I consciously keep a long gap behind me and move aside if a car gets too close. I know that I can massively outbrake the car behind and I don't want him up my chuff if I need to stop in a hurry so I try to maximise the gap.      Because I can drive so much faster in snow it is quite entertaining when leading a group of cars on a winding road. You enter a corner and the cars behind think they can follow, right up until they experience terminal understeer.  

 

I still haven't fitted my winters on my Fiat, hopefully this Friday. I only need them on one car so the Superb stays on Summers.

Edited 19 November, 201312 yr by Pesmog

You enter a corner and the cars behind think they can follow, right up until they experience terminal understeer.

 

Hi!

 

Let's hope that they learn something from the experience you give them in each of the corners ... and that they go with winter tires themselves for the next ice and snow season ...

 

Drive safe!

 

Have a nice day ...

If people fit them with a view to driving the same as in summer YES.

Although they help in winter, they don't do away with the need to slow down and take extra care due to poor weather.

Have you seen the Autocar video where they test a 4x4 Yeti on summers and fwd Yeti on winters? The brake test at 20mph leaves the rear of the yeti on winters about 5 car lengths short (~20m) of the front of the summer one. The winter Yeti looks to take about 20m to stop, so the summer Yeti would need to leave ~40m to stop in time to avoid hitting a stationary object.

Assumming both cars are travelling at the same speed, how many people would leave 20m over 5 car lengths at 20mph. Extrapolating up to 50mph and adding a half a car length for reaction time, how many people would leave ~13 car lengths between them and the car in front at 50mph in snow?

I know I don't, but thinking about I should, just in case. Guaranteed - I know the white van on my arse waiting to overtake the over cautious idiot won't ;)

Steve

This is all a bit silly

Same applies to standard tyres as the tread wears.

I.e. in summer a quick downpour of rain you are on brand new tyres and the person behind is 3/4 worn increasing his braking distance dramatically....Oh no will he rear end you..hope his tyre pressures are correct, how efficient are his brakes! Is he awake to react in time?

There are so many variables that effect braking distances just get on and drive your cars and be aware of what is happening around you

I wasn't proposing a ban, just posing question. If this occurs, a better solution may be to make winters compulsory in UK.

 

Yeah, perhaps I didn't use the best phrase. I was merely saying its not the only situation where different cars have different handling and the blame shouldn't be on the one that is better.

 

Compulsory fitment (though I think fines for using inappropriate tyres in the event of an accident or blocking a road is my preferred suggestion) would be a better option. Poland are looking to make winter tyres compulsory, inline with their neighbours. 95% of drivers already use them, they say, so this is to get the other 5%. Probably because they're the ones causing havoc in winter and ruining it for everyone else.

 

I do get nervous when someone is behind me and I'm driving on snow. I do get the feeling they may try and follow my moves (such as driving on a lane on a dual carriageway that is covered in snow because noone else is using it) and may hit me.

I was so surprised regarding Poland, even checked in internet

 

http://www.europcar.com/EBE/module/render/Driving-abroad-in-Winter-conditions

 

Maybe if you live in southern part you could survive without them, but there were times when crossing Poland - North of Warsaw you hit the roads where normal passenger car struggles with deep snow. 

 

From other hand in Soviet times there were no winter tires invented yet, so we all drove rear wheel drive Lada's with 10 years old diagonal tyres and somehow survived :D 

Well, not sure about the text for other countries when using the Europcar site but for Sweden we should add "when winter road conditions apply" to make it correct. If the road and shoulder with surrounding areas are completely free of ice and/or snow you do not need to use any mud + snow marked tires. Up north it is a no brainer since there is tons of snow but down here in the south we have totally different conditions ... and there are other exceptions as well ...

 

Have a nice day!

This is all a bit silly

Why is it silly? It's a valid point, there are very few examples where changing just a single item on a vehicle could halve the braking distance. In addition, you don't have to read the post if it annoys you ;)

Same applies to standard tyres as the tread wears.

I.e. in summer a quick downpour of rain you are on brand new tyres and the person behind is 3/4 worn increasing his braking distance dramatically....Oh no will he rear end you..hope his tyre pressures are correct, how efficient are his brakes! Is he awake to react in time?

It's well known that it's only past 3mm that it starts to have a more dramatic affect on braking distance. The argument is not about what elements go into a collision, it's about simply fitting winter tyres can halve the braking distance in wintry conditions. The point was that will this cause more collisions than prevent them as winter tyre usage in the UK grows?

There are so many variables that effect braking distances just get on and drive your cars and be aware of what is happening around you

So let's assume you are driving a car on summers in snow/icy conditions, can you honestly say you are going to always leave 5-13 car lengths between you and the car in front just in case they are on winters?

Edited 20 November, 201312 yr by stevehg