My recycling bin hadn't been emptied for six weeks up until last week. Then they not only took the recycling, they took the bin as well . Today is my rubbish bun collection day. No chance at all. Can't say I blame them mind. I did see a gritter drive down the larger road next to mine about three days ago but absolutely no sign since.

It's been snowing pretty much all morning here in Lancashire. I'd say there's now a good six inches or so on untravelled surfaces. I was due to go into work on an errand but I don't think I'm even going to try. Might pop out later to have a walk and see what state the main roads are in...

Jon

One thing I don't get is how do winter tyres help? If they're just made of rubber (but with deeper grooves etc...) then that isn't going to help on ice? I realise it'll help on softer snow but at the moment where I live the roads are either completely clear (main roads) or compacted ice (back roads).

They use a totally different compound to regular tyres.

Yes, they have deeper tread to get snow and rain out of the way better than summer tyres, but the rubber is also designed to work at much lower temperatures and offers a surprising level of grip on ice, as well as snow.

Last week, a friend was going shopping and his housemate told him to watch out, the roads were icy and very slippery. My friend didn't even notice that the roads were iced up. When he got back, he asked the housemate if he'd actually gotten around to swapping the tyres over on his car - he hadn't, he was driving on summer tyres!

Yes, on sheet ice, you will have some problems, but on normal icy roads they are fine, you have to slow down a bit and take corners with caution, but they grip fine, if you aren't driving like a prick.

Sheet ice does cause a lack of grip, there you need to be careful with the throttle and steer gently, otherwise you will lose control.

Ah, that makes sense.

Yes. Yes they will. I've driven in winter tyres in Austria, Germany and Finland (not the studded tyres) and although you obviously can't drive as if there's no snow or ice you certainly don't need to ditch your car.

Obviously, presumably, with ice, studs are better but winter tyres are effective and TBH, in the UK, they'd be pretty much ok for when it gets above freezing so it's not like you'd have to change them every week.

However, on top of that there should be compulsory skid pan training.

Forgot to say for really extreme thick snow and ice on the road, you do need chains or studed tyres (both illegal in Germany, unless you are in the mountains, where chains are a legal requirement).

People going skiing or living in mountainous regions usually carry a complete set of chains in the boot.

+1

It can be pretty hairy with rubber winter tyres getting down the Alps in the evening.

I've always meant to get some of these for driving to the Alps. Would be very handy just to have in the car anyway.

They tested them on Galileo 2 years ago. They didn't come out too bad for emergencies, but if you are going into the mountains, they aren't a substitute for chains.

Not very happy it took 6 hours to get home to basingstoke from fleet last night, a 20min run without snow.
The whole strech of road was a sheet of ice, it did not help with idiots just dumping cars at every hill.

This is true, but for a once a year trip when you only go up the mountain once and come down once, given I've never even needed them any time I've been, it seems enough for me.

I thought they were illegal over here too, but I'm not sure.

Saw a guy in a BMW yesterday with chains on. He overtook me, then I saw him thirty minutes later trying to push into the queue at the next exit.

There'd be an outcry over here if you had to have winter tyres as it means getting a whole new set of wheels, plus the expense of getting them swapped over twice a year for something that, let's face it, happens only rarely. It just happens to have happened two years in a row.

Pay to get them swapped over.

If you can't do basic car maintenance should you really be driving?

[xmas spirit]Obviously some exceptions needed for disable etc.[/xmas spirit]