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Don't you just love it when it snows? The clean, crispness of all that white. The crunch under foot, the cold morning air. But, there's one thing that really annoys me about snow and ice, and that's drivers of 4x4s who manage to get themselves stuck.
It's often because without the correct tyres most four-wheel-drive systems are powerless to prevent losing grip in these conditions. Four-wheel-drive systems are great for getting cars, vans and pick-up trucks to places they shouldn't be - up the sides of mountains, across rivers, through muddy fields - but when it comes down to snow and ice and extra driven axle is pretty rubbish if the tyres aren't up to the job.
Most cars and vans are delivered to the buyer with regular tyres, and for the majority of the year that makes sense. These regular summer are desigend for performance or fuel consumption, maybe even noise and other comfort levels. But, when the temperature drops, these tyres harden in cold weather, significantly reducing their grip on icy and snow-covered surfaces.
Winter tyres, on the other hand, are specifically designed with a unique tread pattern and rubber compound that remains flexible in the cold, providing superior traction and braking performance. Having something fit for purpose in those conditions means that they have shorter stopping distances, improved stability, and better handling when it matters most. There are of course varying degrees of winter tyre - despite the labelling not all winter tyres are created equally - with basic winter spec tread patterns, those with higher levels of natural rubber (great for grip) and of course studded tyres, like the ones pictured, used in Scandinavia and other proper cold-weather climates throughout the winter months.
So why on earth then do I find 4x4s with basic summer tyres, especially if their raison d'être is to tread the path least trodden. I'm not going to point fingers but I've tested pick-up trucks that have been supplied by manufacturers with basic summer spec tyres, on a vehicle that is specifically designed to go off-road, with locking diffs, low-ratio gearboxes and countless clever driving modes. All the good work of hours of engineering, undone by four important bits of rubber - they very thing that translates all that know-how and engineering brilliance to the road, mud, rocks or snow.
It makes me so mad that factory specification tyres don't allow the vehicles to do what they've been designed to do, and consumers are driving off into the icy wilderness (or just a trip to the shops) thinking that they'll be fine because they have a 4x4.
Most 4x4 systems do little to improve braking and cornering on slippery surfaces, in fact, the added weight can actually exacerbate the problem, increasing stopping distances and making them more prone to skidding. That problem is compounded when the wrong tyres are fitted.
Winter tyres significantly reduce the risk of accidents in winter conditions, and while our climate doesn't dicate that we need these year-round it makes a lot more sense to have a set of them on a 4x4 than it does on a front-wheel-drive hatchback or even small van.
Several years ago, I did some extreme weather testing to find out what were the best vans for snow and ice, and during that test found that aside from a few overactive safety systems and really cause more problems, the most important factor was the rubber on the shoes of the van.
Why then aren't all 4x4s coming out with these tyres on? People might cite cost as an issue, but I've recently replaced some summer tyres for a premium brand's winter tyres and the cost was identical to the recommended factory fit.
Four-wheel-drive vans and pick-ups need proper tyres. Without them you might as well save your money and not buy a 4x4 in the first place.
