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Car Forum / Volkswagen / Water Cooled Volkswagen Cars / February 2009Snow
I have just been watching Utube videos on the various accidents going on for the last few days on the icy British roads. Mainly cars of course, but lorries and trucks too, including a dust cart sliding backwards down the road and hitting a car. I bet very few of these idiots had winter tires on the car, and none had snow chains. I suspect that a huge percentage of these "accidents" would not have happened if the drivers had fitted their vehicles out properly for the winter. Britain is like a third world country when it comes to its traffic system. >I have just been watching Utube videos on the various accidents going on >for the last few days on the icy British roads. Mainly cars of course, but [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >vehicles out properly for the winter. Britain is like a third world country >when it comes to its traffic system. I agree but part of the problem is that winter tyres are ridiculously expensive here for the few occasions that we get bad enough snow. I use Autosocks which are easier to use than chains and pretty convenient for the odd occasion that the snow is bad. One interesting point that came up in a discussion elsewhere is that UK insurance companies may not pay out if your using winter tyres due to the lower speed rating of these tyres i.e. not approved for the car. Basically any excuse not to pay out. To be honest I drove today with all-season tyres and didn't really have any problems. Most of the issues are down to poor/harsh car control and a lack of knowledge about snow driving. >>I have just been watching Utube videos on the various accidents going on >>for the last few days on the icy British roads. Mainly cars of course, but [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Autosocks which are easier to use than chains and pretty convenient for > the odd occasion that the snow is bad. Thoroughly agree. But don't forget that winter tires are not only for snow. The rubber mixture used for the tire is designed to be optimal for use at temperatures under 7 C so they provide a better ride and improved traction throughout the cold season. Plus they might be expensive, but then the summer tires are going to last twice as long so the cost equals out. Plus if they save you a prang then they have immediately been worthwhile. > One interesting point that came up in a discussion elsewhere is that UK > insurance companies may not pay out if your using winter tyres due to the > lower speed rating of these tyres i.e. not approved for the car. Basically > any excuse not to pay out. It would make more sense for the insurance companies not to pay out if you have an accident in the winter and are using summer tires.This is the case in a number of countries on mainland Europe. I don't think that the tire speed rating should affect the payout. My winter tires are rated at a top speed of 130 mph. I reckon that covers any speed that I am likely to be doing in the snow. Well, just about :-)) > To be honest I drove today with all-season tyres and didn't really have > any problems. Most of the issues are down to poor/harsh car control and a > lack of knowledge about snow driving. Agree totally about the poor car control. But I guess that people get so little practise that they don't have the chance of learning better. >I have just been watching Utube videos on the various accidents going on >for the last few days on the icy British roads. Mainly cars of course, but [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >vehicles out properly for the winter. Britain is like a third world country >when it comes to its traffic system. While some people seen to have a problem with the concept that it takes further to stop on ice than normal I'd hardly call the UKs traffic system third world. Deaths per 100,000 head of population, Portugal 14.8 USA 14.7 Spain 12.8 Italy 10.5 France 10.2 Germany 8.0 UK 6.1 Interesting, and reasonably well known, but I wouldn't judge the condition of the system by the number of deaths that occurred to its users. It is possible for a system to be total sh.t and nevertheless not lethal. I guess that one criteria might be whether it remained open and usable when struck by adverse weather. And we are not talking monsoons or hurricanes here. Snow happens in the UK. >>I have just been watching Utube videos on the various accidents going on >>for the last few days on the icy British roads. Mainly cars of course, but [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Germany 8.0 > UK 6.1 |
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