This is funny, because I also made the decision to get winter tires after my first winter with OEM Contis! My goodness they were so awful in cold, ice and snow.
Things Stupid People Say About Winter Tires
- Thread starter BillyHW
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This is funny, because I also made the decision to get winter tires after my first winter with OEM Contis! My goodness they were so awful in cold, ice and snow.
It only takes a glass of water here. Saw an Interstate highway highway come to a complete stop because someone threw a McDonalds cup out their window. Halarious
I've seen and experienced just as you've described, in and around Chicago most every Winter I drove there. The biggest problem with "Winter Tires" is similar with normal tires.... People over drive them in bad conditions. Many times the results are worse, and far more expensive than just getting stuck.
Suffered through two sets of OEM Conti's on 2000 Focus and 2008 Mercury Mariner. Noisy, hard, slick, no grip on other than a 70°. Warmer than that and they got squirmy. At 30K on the Mariner, 2 of the 4 had bubbles. Ford must not pay more than $15 each for those tires.
Yea me neither I live in Texas by the time you get winter tires on the snow/ice has melted and its 70 degrees outside.
Wow very cool commercial.
Groan!
edyvw
$50 site donor 2026
My wife was born and lived in Chicago until she was 27. Like you she also strictly drove on all seasons. Now she has snow tires and first time she drove on them said: IDK how I missed this? No one told me about this.
Life is much easier with snow tires. For example, few weeks back I took my 5 year old to ski. Had to take detour over mountain passes bcs. interstate got closed due to ice. We got caught in blizzard driving through mountains and I still came back home in same amount of time as usual.
Actually you are wrong.
Few years back we had 68 car pile up just west of Denver where there is huge altitude drop and you basically drive constantly more or less for 10 miles on 6-8% downgrade through curves. It is very intense part of I70 especially for semi trucks (that is place where that guy that got 110 years of prison, overheated his brakes).
Well, investigation found out that first car had snow tires and had to brake hard. Car behind could not stop in snowy road and after that it wAs one car on another. University of Colorado calculated that economic impact from that accident was upward of $3 million!!! Think about it? Upward of $3 million just bcs. people think they have “common sense” or “they know how to drive” (and this was during excellent fresh powder we got, and accident happened during evening “rush hour” when skiers coming back. So, one could argue “experience “ level was there). So CO legislature takes action and proposed snow tires requirement for I70 stretch through the Rockies (approximately 250 miles). But, then rebtal car companies get involved and lobby hard, then lawmakers argued against bcs. “Freedom “ (I guess to be dumb) and now rentals can still put Ling Long all-seasons on their 6,000lbs SUV at Denver airport and tell customers: there you go, you are ready for Vail.
That is why I go back roads to ski every time I see cloud on a sky, let alone blizzard, bcs. i know these “i have been driving all my life on all-season tires” people are going to ruin someones day.
Looks like I can't edit the original post anymore, so I'll just add a few more here:
"I don't need winter tires because it all boils down to how you drive."
"I don't need winter tires because I understand physics."
I would support making winter tires mandatory, but you could improve things immensely without even mandating them.
All you'd have to do is tell the tire manufacturers that only All-Weather tires with the 3PMSF rating could call themselves All-Seasons. And that tires that don't qualify have to call themselves 3-Season tires. Then you tell the car manufacturers to make the All-Weather tires standard on new cars in any region that experiences winter, with options for a 3-Season tire for those folks who plan to get dedicated Winter tires.
You could get 95% compliance this way without even mandating them, and everyone on the road would be so much safer.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2026
You are purposely obfuscating issues among the crowd that knows much better.There are plenty of hills, crowned roads, and tight curves in and around the Chicago area. They're not the problem. And salt is only marginally effective in low traffic suburban areas, that have minimal snow removal. Especially in times of heavy snowfall. And salt is not very effective at all if the temperature drops into single digits.... Which is very common.
It all boils down to how you drive. And if the traffic in front of you isn't moving, neither are you. And it won't matter if you're driving a D-9 Cat. I've never found Winter tires to be much of an improvement. Which is why I never bought them.
I've had neighbors with snow tires who got stuck constantly. They drive too fast, and brake too hard. Aggressive driving got them into ditches, and or wrecks, that only a tow truck could pull them out of. Take your time accelerating, and even more braking, while keeping a much longer than normal interval, and you'll be fine.
It worked for me for countless Winters there.... Until I got smart 31 years ago, and left for Arizona. Now the only snow I see are on top of the mountains behind me, once in a Blue Moon. And it only lasts for a couple of hours.
Lake Shore Drive in Chicago a couple of Winters ago. Look at how well all of those "Winter Tires" are performing. Amazing!
1. No, Chicago doesn’t have hills. You might call them hills, but we all know they are not.
2. Chicago plows roads very well. I hear that every frickin day when they cancel school here (too many Karen’s moved from TX and CA, and they always swamp school districts with complaints, that they gave up). How she went to school every storm except once when wind chill was -80. Also I spent enough time there to know they plow good.
3. Yes people with snow tires get stuck. But short of blowing their brain with a gun they have under seat, they will be fine. People don’t die bcs. they get stuck in snow.
4. Accidents happen bcs. people cannot stop or they lose control of vehicle. And that is all compound related! You might be driving 50 years and hit deer. Same thing is with tires. You might get away for a long time bcs. numerous reasons, until you don’t. It is all about lowering probability.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2026
Too many “if’s” and “because.”
Either you have snow tires or you don’t. Concept that works excellent in many European countries.
I don’t see much downside to using them. If you avoid even one accident, or one decent bump into a curb or whatever, they pay for themselves, potentially many times over. Not to mention you’re not really as white knuckled driving anywhere.
They also don’t really cost any more because when you’re using your winter set, you’re not using your summer set. I guess there is slight added cost for a second set of wheels, which is pretty marginal spread out over several years.
They also don’t really cost any more because when you’re using your winter set, you’re not using your summer set. I guess there is slight added cost for a second set of wheels, which is pretty marginal spread out over several years.
Yes, driving on All-Seasons in a blizzard is definitely a white-knuckle experience. On Winters, it's actually kind of fun.
I see a problem with ground clearance in most all of these newer, low slung sedans and coupes. Between aerodynamics and CAFE, it seems they're being built lower and lower every year. Not to mention they're nothing but a big snowboard underneath.
I can't see how snow tires are going to do anything on these things. Especially if you get into anything over 4" of snow. My 78 Vette had more ground clearance than my 2018 Camry.... And it's wrapped in just as much plastic. I looked at that thing when we got it home, and I couldn't think of a worse Winter car.
My car will plow through a foot of snow without any issues at all, assuming it’s powder.
Example:
I don’t need snow tires because I read it on the internet.
So snow tires are needless because you know some stupid people owning snow
tires? Would you mind explaining that compelling logic? So far I don't get it.
That's what I do. One car doesn't need winter tires as it isn't driven on snow at all.
Another car is on dedicated winter tires in the colder season because it is driven
daily and I need at least one car able to be driven at any weather. Third car is on
all-weather tires (Michelin CrossClimate+ with 3PMSF) during the colder season
as I don't need to drive it in deeper snow which is rare anyway. All cars are sitting
on UHP summer tires during the warmer season.
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