I have winter tyres fitted at present, need them were I live in rural Northamptonshire. Not perfect but can happily get up the local hills into the village when most other cars are slidding all over the place.. Common sense is still required.

Edited 1 March, 20188 yr by Q102
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I will always prefer studded winter tyres and 4x4

Reading about all recent accidents in Sweden due to ice and snow I'm really happy with me neglecting the benefits of unstudded tyres.

Studded tyres are a problem in the UK - mainly because they are illegal.

 

Having both an S3 AWD and X6 xDrive with winter tyres on both I can happily say that both cars behave pretty much as if the roads were normal.  No dramas up or downhill, traction in deep snow absolutely fine and as long as said above, common sense is applied the combination really is far safer.

 

And it’s not just on snow either.  Frost covered roads are far less tricky on winter rubber too.

 

Sheet ice will quickly upset any non-studded tyres but that should not be a surprise.

 

If you have the space and funds to store and buy a spare set, it is worth it.  BMW store my ‘off car’ set for free (though I am aware some Dealers do charge) and if there is a swing in the uptake of multi-set owners then perhaps other will join in and tyres could be held in larger storage sites (mine used to be held in a regional site in Northamptonshire and shipped back with 48 hours notice.  As we haven’t had a hard winter for some years, the number of car owners with two sets has dropped again, but no doubt there will be another uptick now.

 

I’m completely converted.

More  and more people are using unstudded European or real winter tires. This isn't a problem as long as some people still use studded.

Main reason for this is that the unstudded tyre polishes the ice just as good as a summer tyre. 

Even the Swedish government has declared that the safety of unstudded tyres under some circumstances is dependent on people using studded.

Studs tear up the ice and makes the surface uneven - this is what makes unstudded tires grip.

On 3/2/2018 at 07:14, Baverhanne said:

I will always prefer studded winter tyres and 4x4

Reading about all recent accidents in Sweden due to ice and snow I'm really happy with me neglecting the benefits of unstudded tyres.

 

5 hours ago, FelisBengalensis said:

Studded tyres are a problem in the UK - mainly because they are illegal.

 

Having both an S3 AWD and X6 xDrive with winter tyres on both I can happily say that both cars behave pretty much as if the roads were normal.  No dramas up or downhill, traction in deep snow absolutely fine and as long as said above, common sense is applied the combination really is far safer.

 

And it’s not just on snow either.  Frost covered roads are far less tricky on winter rubber too.

 

Sheet ice will quickly upset any non-studded tyres but that should not be a surprise.

 

If you have the space and funds to store and buy a spare set, it is worth it.  BMW store my ‘off car’ set for free (though I am aware some Dealers do charge) and if there is a swing in the uptake of multi-set owners then perhaps other will join in and tyres could be held in larger storage sites (mine used to be held in a regional site in Northamptonshire and shipped back with 48 hours notice.  As we haven’t had a hard winter for some years, the number of car owners with two sets has dropped again, but no doubt there will be another uptick now.

 

I’m completely converted.

 

As Felis says studded tyres are illegal in the UK and if if they were not they would be useless since we rarely (even over the past few days) get enough hard packed snow/ice for them to work. Good quality winter tyres (or even good quality all season tyres) do a brilliant job with the types of snow we get and are usable every day between the beginning of November and the end of March (which insurers class as the months for using them).

 

Run a studded tyre on bare tarmac and the studs would be torn out in seconds.

 

And don't forget, even with the best winter tyres and driving skill you are only going as far as the idiots stuck in front of you.

Studded Tyres are not 'illegal' on public roads in the UK part of the EU.

You can buy them, you can fit them. E Marked tyres, not Competition Only use.

You can buy tyres you can buy studs and fit to studable tyres & put on a vehicle.

Just using them and damaging a road surface would be an offence.

 

I have ran studded tyres for day after day where there was no black top, 

and added some studs on tyres when needed on some serious iced up roads to assist in getting vehicle out of deep snow and iced roads.

 

Using them on black road surfaces is a legal issue, as is using chains.

But if you have deep snow covered roads, or iced covered roads for a few days and you have on Studded Tyres then Police Officers will 

find it difficult to find the Traffic Law that is going to be used to serve a NIP or take action for a prosecution.

 

Sometimes they are happy to have vehicles with Studded Tyres or Chains help them out because they do not always have suitable vehicles or vehicles with suitable tyres.

Edited 3 March, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

Hi ,here is how the laws in Europe stand at the moment including the UK please read the first line full post at....

 

http://www.wintertyres-yorkshire.co.uk/studded-tyres-users/

 

Studded tyres can tear up the road surface and are illegal in the UK

Studded tyres in the UK

One of the UK tyre companies that offer a studding tyre service is Avon tyres. The studded tyres, however, can only be used in an off-road situation. Here in the UK, Germany and France as it is illegal to use studded tyres on the UK roads. Because they do damage the road surfaces.
Other European countries and some North American states can use studded tyres.Thus at certain times of the year. But some states are trying to abolish the use of them. Because of the use of damage that they can do to the roads.
Different European countries, especially the alpine countries and Nordic countries, which have extreme winters.

Thus allow studded tyres to be fitted to their vehicles, to give them added grip in icy conditions. Ice can also be a problem for winter

tyres because even winter tyres will struggle in some real ice conditions.
A few example countries are.

Studded tyres

Austria

If you will be driving your car in Austria. Then it is the law for your vehicle to be fitted with a full set of winter tyres. They should also have a minimum tread depth of 4mm this is from 1st November – 15th April and at other times outside these dates when there is snow, slush or ice on the roads, very sensible in my opinion.
More relevant to this article Studded tyres may be used from the 1st October until the 31st May. Special local requirements may extend this period.
Belgium
Strangely it is not legal to fit winter tyres in Belgium, but you can have studded tyres and chains provided when the roads are covered in ice and snow, I would say that this is a grey area?

Denmark

Studded tyres – which must be fitted to all wheels – and can be used from 1st November – 15th April.

Studded tyres

Finland, Estonia and Latvia.In Finland, Estonia and Latvia vehicles must be fitted with a set of winter tyres.This from 1 December to 28/29 February. But can be used as early as November until April. Minimum tread depth is 3mm but in poor conditions 5mm.
Studded tyres. As well as snow chains.May also be used, studded tyres from November – April.Thus on all wheels and snow chains only during severe weather conditions. Also you must avoid damaging the road surface; I presume that it means that you should not ride on dry road surfaces with studded tyres fitted?

Norway
It is strongly advised that winter tyres or snow chains are used during the winter season from November to April. All vehicles should be equipped with winter tyres on all wheels, or the driver could be fined. You should also carry a set of snow chains in your car boot, or if you are stopped by the police, you could once again be fined.
As a side issue, you will be charged a fee by Oslo and Bergen, with stickers available for the period that you will be staying in the cities, How strange?

Switzerland
Studded tyres can be used in the winter tyre time but are prohibited on motorways and semi-motorways (DUEL CARRAIGWAYS) except for certain parts of the A13 and A2.
Sweden
Studded tyres fitted to all the wheels can be used from October – 15th April but some areas do not allow you to use them so you must look out for road signs as they may be banned on some routes.
Most southern European countries do not use studded tyres on the roads.

Copied from www.wintertyres-yorkshire.co.uk

Mayoboat

http://trafficscotland.org/currentincidents 

http://ski-glenshee.co.uk

http://lecht.co.uk 

http://aberdeenshire.gov.uk/local/webcams/cairnomount 

If you were living / working in areas between the closed snow gates on the A93 or A939 which have been closed more than 3 days this week and there is no road surface visible to be damaged open Braemar to Glenshee just now from the North still closed at the Spittal of Glenshee from the South.

or up a glen with no road surface or vehicles other than local you might well fit studded tyres, as there are no police giving assistance in you getting around.

That was when i used them, going from private ground and roads that are still vehicular rights of way in Scotland to places on the tarred roads with no visible tar.

Same as when you would use chains.

So horses for courses and laws where there are those to impose the law.

Damaging roads would be stupid obviously. 

Edited 3 March, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

5 hours ago, Mayoboat said:

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Belgium
Strangely it is not legal to fit winter tyres in Belgium, but you can have studded tyres and chains provided when the roads are covered in ice and snow, I would say that this is a grey area?

 

 

I don't think this is quite correct re Belgium 

 

"The use of winter tyres is not compulsory however, where used, the speed rating of the winter tyres must be sufficient for the vehicle and cannot be used between 1st April and 30th October"

In addition if you have an accident then in winter the police note the fact you don't have winter tyres

 

Likewise I have winter tyres on my Superb II  and as mentioned above on black ice you can still slip but the difference compared to summer tyres is amazing. Yesterday when I drove my Octavia 1.4 on summer tyres I had a bit of a shock - and due to it's narrow tyres it's better than most!

 

Edited 3 March, 20188 yr by bigjohn