I read somewhere that, in Germany, or at least the parts of it covered by the law, if you have an accident without the proper tyres on your car, then it is considered your fault and you are treated in much the same way as a drink-driver. Namely, you have committed an offence and are charged with it, your insurance cover is reduced to 3rd party only so you can't claim for damage to your own vehicle. The list goes on. The ironic thing is that, in any other circumstance, you may have been the wronged party but if your car is not properly equipped you are not treated sympathetically.
You obviously cannot stop every vehicle to ensure they comply, no more than you can breathalyse every driver and there will always be some who don't toe the line, in the same way as not everyone will tax and insure their vehicle. If you have ever watched "Traffic cops" or like programmes, they illustrate the powers the police now have to seize and crush non-compliant vehicles. Law abiding people have absolutely nothing to fear from such laws, and neither would they have anything to fear if winter tyres became mandatory.
People generally do not buy these tyres because they are considered expensive and unnecessary, but when you get over the initial out lay there are many advantages.
As I have said before.
1. Your car is properly equipped for winter conditions, Grip and braking in the wet as well as snow is improved
2. Winter tyre compounds are formulated to cope with low temperatures, below 7deg C, standard tyres become hard and don't function properly. see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKEdK...eature=related
3. You're not wearing out your summer tyres when the winter ones are on
4. You're not damaging your alloys with the salt and grit on the road.

This tyresafe video is also quite informative. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVdsmaGckJQ

Anyone who has ever driven a car in poor conditions, firstly on standard tyres, then on winters, will tell you the difference is VAST. When we married in 1986, I had a Mk1 Astra GTE. It was fine until the winter came and then the trouble started. I likened the experience to trying to roller-skate on marbles! I tried to source tyres for it, which in those days were considered low profile, and although they were only 185/60X14 they were over £200 EACH! For less money I was able to buy four 13" steel wheels and fit them with 155X13 Vredestein tyres. The car was utterly transformed in snow and ice, and, to be frank, when it wasn't snowy, I noticed little difference in handling, even on dry roads! I ran those tyres on that car for two winters, then for a further three winters on its replacement, a 1.3 Nova saloon I bought when my son came along. They were actually too big as it should have had 155/70 but they didn't foul anywhere so that was OK. When I changed that for a bigger car, I sold them to a mate who had a Cavalier as they were still less than half worn. The cavalier actually had 165 section tyres but, due to the chunkier nature of the vredsteins, there was little difference in diameter.
To conclude, five years of improved safety for me and my family and money back at the end of it! During those five years I did not have to renew any of the standard tyres fitted to my cars and so saved that way as well.
How many people have you seen on the roads with big 4x4s, who have bought them because "They are safer if we have a crash" and then go around in the winter time with standard, low profile, summer tyres, not realising that their big "safe" vehicle has now become a lethal projectile, and may, in fact be the very cause of that crash.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice...in-the-uk.html

Have a quick glance at this.

Hallo Xenonman. I had actually read that article before and I agree that the logistical problem of supplying winter tyres to a country with as many cars as we have is vast. We, in Shetland, are already habitual users of winter tyres, and, even so, some of us were caught napping by last years early arrival of winter. One effect it had was to make winter tyres almost impossible to source as they were being snapped up by mainland buyers. As you can imagine, we are at the bitter end of a very long supply chain! When they did become available again the price had increased dramatically due to supply shortages. I noted the same phenomenon on http://www.mytyres.co.uk
Most people, such as myself, already had a set, ready to go on, in the garage, but had I recently changed vehicle, as I did when I purchased my C-Max in July this year, and not already got myself kitted out, I would have been sunk. I'm not sure I completely agree with the statement that winter tyres are not as good in summer. I ran Toyo Snowprox all year round when I had my Xantia. Because they were directional I had an extra "Spare" wheel and changed them round in pairs always ensuring I had the best pair on the front for the winter, the 2nd best pair on the rear, and the other two as "spares". Those went on the front in the spring and if they were worn out by October, they were replaced with another pair. And so on. They were actually more of an all weather tyre, very similar to look at as the Goodyear Vector four seasons, which would be an excellent tyre for anyone not wishing to have to keep changing. The Toyos suited the car well, being (MUCH) quieter on the road then the standard Michelins which were on it when I bought it, better in the wet and completely superior in snow. Regardless of Michelins claims that their tyre saved money due to lower fuel consumption, I noticed absolutely no difference at all in that respect after I had changed to the Toyos. The Toyos gave about 20,000 miles a pair and were £130 for two. The Michelins may have given a higher mileage, but were nearly £100 EACH!

Germany, as you mentioned has joined the winter tyre obligation. Here in Switzerland it is also a fact that winter tyres can make the difference in the case of an accident, it similar to the drink-driving, in that the blame goes to the on who is not complying with the law, not necessarily the one who has caused the accident.
Listening on the internet, there is the start of understanding in the UK, that winter tyres are a good thing. The shortage of the winter tyres is partly due to Germany, and other countries which have made it law, getting priority with deliveries.
The cost, as you say, is one of the points people use against them, but forget that it is off-set by the reduced risk and costs of accidents. That would certainly make a difference if the insurance companies stepped in to offer inducements to drivers, at least until it becomes law.
The difference using them when on snow or ice is something I have also mentioned, and I have driven though snow where a four wheel drive vehicle had failed, simply because I had winter tyres and he had not. You should have seen his face when I drove by!

In my own experience during 35 years ( no points (ever) and no accidents since 1980) of car ownership and, more lately, of winter tyres, they are definitely worthwhile in a place like Shetland where we can have lying snow as early as October and as late as April. That is not the case in the south of England with regional variations at points in between, dependant on altitude. However, people would still benefit from the better grip afforded in cold snaps and in the rain.
Because we are surrounded by sea, and the farthest "inland" you can get is 3 miles, we do not experience the serious frosts of mainland Britain where, even in the South if England, I believe minus 16 C was recorded and much lower in the Scottish Highlands. Our lowest temperature was a balmy minus 6 C by comparison. In our case that may happen many times during the winter months, alternating with Atlantic fronts, Gales and rain. A testing environment for tyres indeed! If they can cope with all that and help to keep you shiny side up, they're doing all right!
You are absolutely correct about the 4X4s. There was one, a brand new Discovery, last winter that was crawling along at about 25mph on a road that was "tracked" with bare strips and ridges of slush. I had been going between 40 and 50 before I caught up with them. I got a real dirty look when I pulled out and overtook them in my old Citroen Picasso! I had a look at his wheels as I went by. You guessed! Fancy alloys and low profiles! About as much use in the circumstances as a chocolate teapot! What I can't get my head round, is that if you can afford THOUSANDS of pounds for a new motor, why not go a wee bit further and get some decent grippy tyres to make it safe and, in the case of 4x4s, actually perform as it should! Oh I forgot! That might mean not having some fancy "extras"! Shame!

Edited by: Big Budgie

I run Avons on my works van after replacing the standard Michelin energy. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!

Avon: 8 ply
Michy: 6 ply

Avon: £45
Michy: £65

Avon: 20,000 a set
Michy: 22,000 a set

No contest really, road handling is better due to the tyres being 'stiffer', braking distances are improved and better performance in the snow!

Big Budgie here's one that says it all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UwOB...EF22B8FDD1440A

Yes Gazza. I actually remember watching that programme and couldn't agree more. If ever there was a pointless car, the X6 is the one! When I bought my C-Max I told my facebook buddies that I was quite impressed with the quality of the build. One replied that if I wanted quality, I should have bought a Beemer. I told him that they were all very well if you were in a position to afford two cars as they are utterly hopeless in winter conditions. I said that one of my neighbours has one (an old model 528i) which he uses in the summer, and a Toyota Rav4 that he uses for the other 364 days!

Just to report that I have fitted the Ex Mondeo Steel wheels and Cooper "Weathermaster" tyres to the car and have been out for a drive. The car feels little different on the road, a little less compliant perhaps, possibly due to stiffer construction of the tyres. They are as quiet on the road as the tyres which were on the car when I bought it. Two "Fullrun" on the front and two Continentals, which I assume are the OEM tyre, on the rear. I will report on how they do on the white stuff when it appears!

Further to my last post. Mileage recorded when I put them on (All brand new) was 16,600 (Miles) I'll report later to let you know how much they have worn before I change back to the standard tyres. Tread depth, measured with an electronic vernier calliper, is 8.91mm new. Even snow tyres wouldn't cope very well with this lot until it's cleared!

Edited by: Big Budgie