[ziggy]

About 15 kliks of the road I built this spring was on the lakes and was pure ice,at -40 and colder it had unbeleivable traction for everything with rubber tires including 50 tonne off road rock trucks.

[PluggyRug]

ziggy ziggy:

Kiajeffrey Kiajeffrey:

ziggy ziggy:

And no matter what kind of tires you have the colder it is outside the better traction you will have.Roads and ice are at their slipperiest when near melting temps.

Sorry, have to disagree. Traction is all about friction. I am not a physics expert but I think it is safe to assume that when too surfaces meet the more resistance there is the more friction results. Water actually has more surface drag? than ice. When there is water or sluch on the roads it actually causes an effect clled hydroplaning. Simply put poor quality tires cant't move the water and slush away from the tire surface fast enough and therefore the rubber never meets the road, thus less friction.

The synthetics the tire manufacturers use today are of three types.
The first type includes a silica compound which stays soft in the cold therefore creating better friction co-efficient.
The second is good for most uses, but surrounded by tons of leading advertising and hype.
The third is just the cheapest way to make them, usually for housebrand tires either made on China or Dayton, Ohio.

Ice causes slippery roads,warm temps cause snow under a tire to turn to ice,this doesnt happen at colder temps.Anyone who lives in chinook country will verify this.Anyone who drives truck in winter conditions should also be able to verify this.

Yep Ziggy's correct, just try skiing when it's 40 below.

[Kiajeffrey]

There is an obvious difference in driving needs depending on what area of this country you live in.

I have lived in practicly all areas except the Rock(its on the list of things to do).

LowerVancouver Island - wait an hour it will be safe again.

Same for Calgary!

Edmonton - it's so damn cold the car won't start anyway so it doen't matter what you have for tires.

Toronto - AgaIn we don't have to worry, the army will clear the way.

Ottawa - who gives a damn, we all work for the government and they won't even know we are missing if there is a storm.

East coast - what's the rush boy.

I am sure thre lots of these silly expressions for erach regional difference but he bottom line is the safer the better and the Quebec government feels this will help its people. I hope Ontario follows.

Now - Can't we pass a law that says that if you are scared shitless of driving in bad weather - STAY HOME or stay out of peoples way.

Can we also pass a low that forbids radio staions from telling people to slow down and instead tell listeners to a) buy snow tires or b) learn how to drive.

[sasquatch2]

$1:

Ice causes slippery roads,warm temps cause snow under a tire to turn to ice,this doesnt happen at colder temps.Anyone who lives in chinook country will verify this.Anyone who drives truck in winter conditions should also be able to verify this.

Yep! Used to run to the west from Ontario.

Bonded for the US, we used to go the "short" way. US feul was cheaper but in winter tended to gel on us.

Any ho.....we could legally run west to Minot and re-enter at North Portal Sask. but in Minnesota we would turn north at Deer River and head to WARROAD/Sprague because we could get access to Canadian fuel and avoid slippery roads. Canada was much colder, bare and dry with 100km roads.....rock and roll. Few blizzards and no ice storms.

[meee223]

It's almost winter in Canada and the Canadian legislators are at it again. Well, at least in the province of Quebec...so far. As of November 15, all registered car owners in that province are required to have winter tires on their vehicles. All season radials are no longer good enough, no...not even after all these decades where they were just fine. Everyone who owns a car must go out and plunk down $800 to $1000 for a set of winter tires. They say they are doing this to cut down on winter accidents and therefore save lives. Well, what about all the people who are smart and leave their cars at home when it snows and roads aren't yet plowed? Hey, I'm one of those people. I take public transportation on those days. I only drive in winter when the roads are clear...meaning, I have to see pavement or I stay off the roads. Why do I need snow tires? I also listen to weather reports and if there's a chance of snow, I also leave my car at home. If, by chance, I'm taken by surprise and it does snow, I drive home very carefully and way below the speed limit. I take surface streets (no highways) and I leave a big distance between myself and the car ahead AND when I'm approaching a light, I start to slow down very, very early. I definitely do not drive like I would in summer! And, hey legislators, where am I suppose to put my set of tires (winter or summer) when they are not in use? I live in one large room that I rent. Am I supposed to bring the tires up the stairs and put them in the middle of my one room??? And when I change my tires for winter (or for summer) do I have to rent a u-haul to take those 4 tires to the shop so they can be put on? I certainly can't get all four in the trunk of my car or onto my back seat!!! What in the world is the legislature thinking of when they pass laws like this? Do you really care about people? Do you think we all have $800 to $1000 just lying around? I'd have no choice but to put it on a credit card and I already have a $1000 balance which has been there for over a year and I can't seem to make a dent in it! And you know what? Even with snow tires, I STILL wouldn't drive in snowy weather, so why should I have to buy snow tires? It's like taking all that money and throwing it in the trash! Come on, Mr. and Mrs. Legislature, you are smart people...at least I think you are. You know there are smart drivers out there who simply do not drive on snow-covered roads. You must know this. So why punish them?? Wouldn't it be smarter to have bigger fines and stiffer penalties for accidents, even minor fender benders, caused by people who don't drive according to weather conditions? People cause accidents, not all season radial tires!