General 500`s in the snow
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General 500`s in the snow
flyingscot
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Studded tyres aren't specifically illegal as far as I know. Same as chains.
You can use studded tyres and chains as long as you do not damage the pavement or caused danger to other road users- if you did you could be prosecuted. Indeed I'm not sure that studded tyres would do that much damage to a road (at low speeds)
In reality we rarely get the weather where there is constant snow, nor do we have large amounts of non mettled roads so there is little point in having them bar the remotest/most mountainous areas of Scotland.
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Well studded tyres are effectively illegal unless there is ice everywhere you're driving. So if you're out for a drive and the ice goes, you're on illegal tyres.
Oh and snow tyres will do damage to the road surface at just about any speed.
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flyingscot
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Wouldn't think so, you do get folk up north (Aviemore area) on studded tyres around ski-resorts. Doubt they take them off even when they reach the main road! They aren't the full on ice studs though, that would destroy the road and be uncomfortable- just like this-
That's a fairly normal amount of studs and tbh they'd still damage the road.Wouldn't think so, you do get folk up north (Aviemore area) on studded tyres around ski-resorts. Doubt they take them off even when they reach the main road! They aren't the full on ice studs though, that would destroy the road and be uncomfortable- just like this-
A friend of mine in Finland runs on these
Studded tyres are really hard for the road surface and will make grooves into the asfalt in no time. The asfalt used up here is much more harsh compared to central or southern Europe and even that doesnt help. Newly layed asfalt is pretty much ruined after one winter! Studded tyres are allowed from november till beginning of april. If I was to buy my winter tyres now I would propably go for non-studded ones, the road noise is that horrible!
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Damage the road? Last time I went out my car almost fell into a pothole, I don't think people driving with studded tires have much to worry about!
and potholes would be even worse if people used studded tyres.Damage the road? Last time I went out my car almost fell into a pothole, I don't think people driving with studded tires have much to worry about!
Cucciolotto
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Sorry but there are ten time less potholes on the Alpine roads (France and Italy) otr the Pyrenees than there are in say Herts or Beds, and I believe ten time more studded tyres and chains there.
Coldness and snow are Heaven sent excuses to explain why there are that many potholes when the reality is that all year long roads are ****, some wouldn't even be out of place in Beyrouth or Kabul.
This week I saw workers opening an portion of a street up to work on cables, that very same street had be re-laid the week before! :bang:
That was not in London (for once where) this probably happens every single week! :bang:
blame the years of cost cutting by councils and the poor modern methods of road resurfacing
at one point they would wait till good weather then grade the top 2-4" off the top using a Tarmac planer then re build the road then top off with hot tar and chippings...
Now all they do is spot repair smother cold water based bitumen on and blather with chippings regardless of the weather any water in the road bed is then trapped and when it freezes it expands cracking bitumen layer which then lets in more water which freezes etc
So what you're saying is that tungsten studs ripping chunks of tarmac up is good for the road?
Like Andy said, it's poor quality road resurfacing practices which are to blame.
Cucciolotto
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Why putting words in my mouth?
I'm just trying to say that they're not as bad as you say. If thousands of studded tyres AND chains in the Alps don't make the roads as half bad as they are here, it is because studs don't have that ripping megapower that you seem to imply.
They might scratch but not rip. Or try to explain that to the Pyrenees and Alpes people or all people living in high mountainous regions with proper roads for that matter.
And yes fingers can also be pointed at poor practices road-wise, but what's worse is the pats on their own backs ("we're doing what we can, and we're doing it very well
" sort of thing ) from a local road maintenance agency that I read in my local paper. 
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We've had 4 major busy roads in our area "chipped" last September. All have completely disintegrated now, and they are little more than large gravel tracks. 2 were dug up their entire length within a week.
I thought I'd be Mr Grumpy and ask the council why they do this and who decides, but they just gave me some crap about it protecting the roads - not if it all falls off. It's about 10 miles in all and at 16 grand a mile that's a lot of taxpayers money completely wasted.
Studded tyres or even army tanks could no more damage.
I thought I'd be Mr Grumpy and ask the council why they do this and who decides, but they just gave me some crap about it protecting the roads - not if it all falls off. It's about 10 miles in all and at 16 grand a mile that's a lot of taxpayers money completely wasted.
Studded tyres or even army tanks could no more damage.
