Here at TyreReviews we have our own opinion as to what message the government, and any other official body should be pushing, but we thought it would be more interesting to find out how everyone else feels!
The options are simple. Firstly, the government could continue to do nothing and leave the industry to educate people. Secondly, the government could create a fund to educate the wider population about the benefits of winter tyres but not enforce anything. Thirdly, the government could follow the lead of other European countries and require winter tyres ONLY when it is snowing / icy. This would mean that summer tyres aren’t illegal in the winter, but if you cause an accident by driving on the wrong tyre for the conditions (ie summer tyres on snow) you may get a fine / points. The last option is a draconian requirement for winter tyres through all winter months.
Feel free to vote in the poll below and leave any further feedback in the discussion section at the bottom of the page.
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Further winter tyre reading
- 7 reasons to consider winter tyres- 2010 Winter tyre buying guide
- Why winter tyres ARE suitable for the UK climate
Hi David,
Many of us winter tyre users have a full set of wheels with winter tyres which means you don't continually switch over tyres - just swap wheels. Also, this benefits us in that we can use a different size wheel and tyre, ie 18" for the summer and 16" for the winter but maintaining the overall circumference of the wheel/tyre. So, while 185/55/16 might be hard to find I'm sure there are other combinations that equate to the same circumference.
Having just checked, 175-65-15 is the same as 185-55-16, and there's quite a selection of winter tyres in that size, ie Bridgestone, Pirelli, Uniroyal, Goodyear, Dunlop, Continental, Hankook, Verds, Nokian, etc etc, plus they're much cheaper.
I run 225-40-18 (F) / 255-35-18 (R) summer tyres on the BM and for winters I run 205-55-16 all round.
FYI... MyTyres provide full winter wheel sets, ie 4x steel wheels and tyres, fitted, balanced and shipped to your door.
i think winter tyres sound like a good investment,with this global warming bring colder winters ,and wetter summers,was suprised at the reasonable cost of the tyres aswell
Legislation has been in place in the UK since 1986 to prevent summer tyres being used on snow and ice but it is obviously not being enforced:
"27 (1). A wheeled motor vehicle or trailer a wheel of which is fitted with a pneumatic tyre shall not be used on a road, if :-
(a) the tyre is unsuitable having regard to the use to which the motor vehicle or trailer is being put." (ROAD VEHICLES (CONSTRUCTION AND USE) REGULATIONS 1986, PART II, REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES).
Summer tyres are unsuitable for use on snow and ice (due to extremely low traction in those conditions) and therefore contravene these regulations when used on snow and ice.
Rob, Winter tyres have been in huge demand and that is why they are hard to find. Also that is a very unusual size of tyre.
Jonathan,
I think you'll find that particular regulation was retired in 1988.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en...
I've not yet found anything related to it in the new acts.
No it was not retired in 1988. The link you give does not say that at all, it only says that regulations prior to 1988 are not on the directgov website but are available in print form from The Stationery Office. Furthermore it was Pat Negus from the DfT who referred me to those regulations and he must know what vehicle legislation is still in force. There have been many amendments to the Constuction & Use Regulations (CUR) since 1986, but the part I quote is definitely still in force.
I'd love to get winter tyres but they just don't seem to have any in my size (185/55 R16). I don't understand this; why are they so hard to find?
2 reasons.
1) Demand has been huge this year, meaning supply has dried up.
2) Most of Europe fit smaller steel wheels for winter tyres and use a smaller generic set of winter tyre sizes, meaning manufacturers only range a smaller set of sizes. 185/55 16 is quite a small volume size anyway.
One of the cars in our family has this size (185/55 R16).
A couple of months ago there were three makes/models available
from Internet sellers MyTyres (Germany) and Pneus-Online (France).
In my personal preference they were:
1 Conti 830
2 Pirelli snow <somethings>
3 Bridgestone LM-25
By the time I'd ordered tyres for the first (other) car in the family, the Contis had gone.
By the time I'd ordered tyres for the second (other) car in the family, so had the Pirellis.
By the time both other cars were now fitted out, the Bridgestones had gone too.
185/55 R16 has very limited choices even for summer tyres (see tyresearcher.com ).
But particularly with winter tyres, it's very important to buy as early as you can.
Not only for availibility, but also because prices have since rocketed.
Trying to tell the average UK motorist that the are doing something wrong is a non starter.
Everday I see hundreds drive past my house on the phone,
Start the legislation with all new cars from xxxx must be fitted with winter tires from Nov-Mar,then allow the insurance co.s to encourage the others with discounts for thoses who fit and lower pay outs for thoses who dont.
The extra cost to the motorist is peanuts and the boost to the economy in many sectors would be a step in the right direction.
However the first step should be compuslary winter tyres for all service vehicles not just fire police ect but Taxis, Buses, refuge collection and the likes.
I personally see little point in legislation without first going through a period of education. For example, there is currently no mention of Winter Tyres in the Highway Code. Without mention in this document, read by all learner drivers, we can't hope to enforce it.
Seat belts were available, and advised, long before they became compulsory. Sure, it's possibly time we went down a similar road for winter tyres, but we can't just put rules in overnight without raising formal awareness first.
Good points and a sensible approach.
Excellent points, totally agree.
Given the Transport Secretary's rubbish track record on this, you need another option: Government to educate itself on winter tyres before spouting mis-information to the public.