December 2007: Be sure to have a winter check before you take the ski lift

Why it can be expensive if your car is not properly equipped for a winter holiday

When snow levels rise, the carving skis have been waxed and the pistes are at long last calling again, it’s time for winter sports fanatics to load up their caravans and flock to the Alps and the Central German Uplands. However, skiers and snowboarders persistently pay more attention to their sports equipment than to what is essentially their most important means of transport – their car. Indeed, cars need to be fully prepared for the winter with winter tyres, a winter check and appropriate equipment for emergencies. If your car has not had its winter health check-up, your winter holiday may come to an abrupt end.

It may also become very expensive – for example, as of 1 January 2008, winter tyres are now compulsory in Austria. Anyone who drives around in wintry conditions with summer tyres can expect to pay fines of up to €5,000. There is also the risk of your car being impounded on the spot by the police if it does not have the right tyres. At the beginning of December, the Austrian parliament decided that cars and transporters under 3.5 tonnes in total weight must be fitted with winter tyres. The law is applicable from 1^st November to 15^th April. Austria is therefore following in the footsteps of countries such as Sweden, Finland and Estonia in which winter tyres are compulsory across the board. In Italy and Switzerland, winter tyres are compulsory on certain stretches of road in snowy conditions. In Germany, the German Road Traffic Ordinance was amended in 2006 and now states: “The equipment of motor vehicles is to be adapted to the weather conditions. This shall notably include suitable tyres…” If you go skidding around with summer tyres on icy streets in Flensburg, you can expect a fine of up to €40 and a point on your licence.

These increasingly strict regulations have been introduced for good reason – drivers continue to travel on icy roads with the wrong tyres and therefore put themselves and other people on the road at risk. Indeed, it can also generally be a mistake to use summer tyres in winter even when it is not snowing. If temperatures drop below 7 degrees, summer tyres become less fit for purpose. Grip, handling and braking response deteriorate significantly when the temperature drops further. In extremely low temperatures, summer tyres harden to such an extent that specialists speak of 'glazing' of the rubber. In extreme cases, all brake action may be lost. “Winter tyres are made of a special rubber compound which prevents glazing”, says Burkhard Wies, Head of Passenger and Light Truck Tyre Development for Continental’s international replacement business. The rubber in winter tyres also remains flexible in cold conditions and offers optimal road grip. Furthermore, winter tyres have a completely different tread, which is customised for wintry road conditions. “It is important to have as many grip edges as possible”, says tyre expert Wies. “A winter tyre thus has approximately 2,000 sipes which provide the required grip on snow.” Manufacturers such as Continental recommend a tread of at least four millimetres for winter tyres, to ensure optimal grip on ice, snow and wet surfaces.

Nevertheless, having the right tyres is not the only crucial factor for safe winter driving. Before winter, a number of basic functions should be checked in all vehicles – especially if you are planning to make frequent trips in poor weather conditions. Many workshops and motoring clubs offer low-priced check-ups for ignition systems and lights, batteries, brakes, windscreen wipers and heating.‑{}‑

Furthermore, you can take things into your own hands and make some improvements to your car to ensure that it weathers the winter. Obviously, you should put antifreeze in the windscreen wiper system. However, a few test wipes are also needed to fill the feed pipes and nozzles with antifreeze. Otherwise, the next time it is very cold at night, the system may freeze up. Besides this, there is no harm in applying talcum powder or glycerine to the rubber seals on the doors and boot to avoid them freezing shut. Damage caused to the paintwork by stone chippings should also be touched up to prevent salt and dampness from doing any major and expensive damage during the winter months.

Before winter journeys, you should also make sure that you put a number of essential accessories in the boot. If you are travelling to the mountains, do not forget to take snow chains. Those who travel in the mountains without chains are guilty of gross negligence and should expect severe penalties – even if they have fitted winter tyres. Indeed, with even the best tyres, you can find yourself in situations where the rubber is pushed to its limits. Therefore, “winter tyres are no substitute for snow chains” in the words of Austrian motoring club the ÖAMTC. If, for example, there is a traffic jam on a snowy incline on the way to a ski resort, tyres alone are sometimes not capable of enabling heavy vehicles to move forwards on a slippery surface from a stationary position. Therefore, on many stretches of road, snow chains are even compulsory, and a blue traffic sign showing a tyre with chains indicates this. Ideally, you should practice putting the chains on at home in a safe environment before travelling to the mountains. If you have hired chains, you should also check whether these actually fit your car's tyres. And don’t forget to put snow chains on your front wheels. You should try not to put your foot down too much. The speed limit for cars with snow chains is 50 km/h (31 mph) under the German Road Traffic Ordinance.

What else should you keep in the car? A pair of gloves, a torch, an ice scraper, jump leads, a can of de-icer, a bag of sand (in case you get stuck on a small patch of ice) and a blanket – in case you have to ‘dig in’ for the night when stuck in a long traffic jam during heavy snowfall. One thing you should not leave in the car is your door-lock de-icer. Ideally, this should be kept within easy reach in the porch of your house or if you are on holiday for several days, in your coat pocket. That way you won’t be stuck one cold morning with a car door which is frozen shut.

Contact:

Alexander Lührs

Head of PR – PLT Tyres

Continental AG

Büttnerstraße 25 , 30165 Hanover, Germany

Phone: +49 511 938 2615

Fax: +49 511 938 2455

E-mail: alexander.luehrs@conti.de

Internet: www.conti-online.com

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