Should we be using winter tyres in the UK?

I agree with Rob et al. There is a huge difference between all season and winter tires. I would never consider driving in Canadian winters with all season tires.
Mark, the reason that the province of Quebec mandated winter tires is to reduce accidents, insurance claims and ultimately cost to the province.
It's a requirement that other provinces should consider, especially in southern Alberta where municipal snow clearing is, for the most part, non-existant :s

Many years ago when they were legal I ran studded tires on my dealer supported rally car. 180 in each front and 220 in the rear on a rear wheel drive Austin A55.
Great on hard pack or icy roads. Not much better than just snow tires on light or in deep snow.
Interesting to say the least on wet roads!
Even here in Ontario's snow belt the main roads are usually clear within a couple of hours of it stopping. Exceptions are flat areas where the wind can just whistle across. With drifting a clear road can suddenly be snow covered. Certain major roads can be almost guaranteed to be shut several times a winter. We also get squalls that will be only a few miles wide that can dump large quantities in minutes. Also a major storm can last more than 24 hours.
Side roads are another story!
Major cities use a lot of salt. Smaller cities and towns use mostly sand so the roads can be snow covered for weeks at a time. A couple of years ago I didn't see pavement in my town for 6 weeks although the highways were dry pavement.

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Originally Posted by Easy Drifter

...Major cities use a lot of salt. Smaller cities and towns use mostly sand so the roads can be snow covered for weeks at a time. A couple of years ago I didn't see pavement in my town for 6 weeks although the highways were dry pavement.

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Welcome to Calgary :dozey:

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Originally Posted by Daniel

I guess it all depends how inconvenient it is for you to store them. If you're going to be stepping around or over a stack of tyres every day of the year then that's pretty stupid but if they go in a corner of the backyard under a cover or in a small shed then IMHO it's worth it. Tyre hotels are also an option, apparently Kwik fit are doing it? -> http://www.tyrepress.com/News/busine.../28/20480.html

Would I trust Kwik ****up with a nice set of alloys though? I think not!!!!

Gotta love driving in the snow :D

http://oi56.tinypic.com/50jfcl.jpg

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holy **** the snow shrank your car ? :crazy: :eek: :p

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Originally Posted by donKey jote

holy **** the snow shrank your car ? :crazy: :eek: :p

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It does look a little small doesn't it? :mark:

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Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

All season tires are NOT snow or even winter tyres, they are designed to handle wet/damp weather better than standard tyres and that is all.

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err not quite... they are neither proper snow tyres or high performance summer tyres. Wet/damp depends more on the tread compound than anything else, and all-season tyres don't usually have top wet grip compounds as they tend to be designed with extra focus on mileage, specially on your side of the puddle. :)

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Originally Posted by Bob Riebe

Now Blizzak, there is nothing else, period, as good as Blizzak for severe winter weather, told to me by a Goodyear tyre salesman.

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I have to refine your comment: The Blizzak 4x4 may be/have been good in snow, the other Blizzaks I've seen are nowhere near the top, period ;)

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Originally Posted by Daniel

Gotta love driving in the snow

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I drove to Münich for a meeting Wednesday evening, in wintery conditions, in a rear-driven vehicle from a well known Bavarian manufacturer wearing
18" W-rated winter tyres from a well know German manufacturer ( ;) ).

Great fun, pure "Freude am Fahren", apart from the odd traffic jam and the roadworks. Speed symbol W tyres aren't true Winter tyres in my book, but they got me there and back safely despite driving like a donkey at stupid speeds. :eek:

I wonder what sort of tires the X5 and the Q7 who passed me at >220kph were on :crazy:
I also wonder what the Ferrari and the Z8 were wearing, I reckon they were doing well <100kph. To be honest, I hardly even saw the Z8 :erm:
Damn looking back I really did drive like a moron BMW-driver :dozey:

Nice. I'm wondering whether to get t or h rated tyres for Caroline's Subaru. That's if she allows me to buy some tyres for it :p

T, unless you want to drive >190kph and/or increase the tire manufacturer's profit margin :p
err I mean H, definitely ;) :laugh:

So no driving at 191kph for extended periods of time? :(