Latest posts for the topic "Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!"

Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 11:20:45 GMT

After reading reports in autoexpress advice is to contact your car insurer if you are going to or have winter tyres on your vehicle, apparently changing yours tyres is a modification to the vehicle. My insurer has just confirmed this & noted the modification to our policy, thankfully no charge was incurred.
See link below.

http://www.planestrainsautomobiles.co.uk/automobiles/auto-express-and-tyresafe-concern-over-winter-tyres-car-insurance

The thing that concerns me for skiers driving to the slopes is that you have to notify your car insurer before driving abroad & an extra insurance premium is usually incurred, however you need to inform your insurer if you have winter tyres fitted as this is a modification to your vehicle.
Insurance minefield.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 11:51:34 GMT

According to that article...

The magazine claims that some insurers regard the fitting of winter tyres as a vehicle modification

Any insurer viewing correctly-fitted and in-spec winter tyres as "a modification" is trying it on and needs to be challenged head-on.

The advantage of winter tyres, in winter, is so clear-cut that insurers should be looking at encouraging their use through the use of discounted premiums.

It'd be interesting to hear from anyone who actually has been charged an additional premium, identifying the insurer so we can all avoid them in future!

For starters, Admiral have just confirmed to me that they do NOT view winter tyres as modifications and there is no need to inform them of their use. No surprise there.

If your insurance company think differently then ditch them - simples.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 11:58:23 GMT

We are with Privelege & they view it as modification, going as far as to requesting us to inform them when & if we change our tyres back from winter to 'summer' models.
It's absolutely crazy.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 13:31:19 GMT

I don't think the insurance company would have a leg to stand on, unless the manufacturer considers winter tyres a modification. Most models of UK vehicle are also sold in North America, and European snow countries. No manufacturer is going to jeopardise sales in those places, by saying winter tyres are a modification that makes their vehicles less safe.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 20:10:56 GMT

Are you sure the issue is with the tyres? Here on the continent most people have a second set of wheels for a winter tyre and the wheel have to conform to the manufacturers list as if they don't the different wheels are counted as a modification. From the insurers point of view it's the other way around. In Switzerland the insurer can decide not to cover you if you DON'T have winter tyres on!

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 20:20:46 GMT

Fraid so, there are plenty of folks over here who have tried both ways, only to be thwarted by their Insurer. If your car is fitted with daft fat alloy wheels and you want to put a set of steel rims with winter tyres on..for the winter, many consider it a modification. It's a chance to get some extra money out of the customer, and if the customer fails to tell the insurer, chance to refuse to payout on a claim. Non-standard equipment fitted (teeth sucking noises) etc

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 21:29:25 GMT

I too originally thought the modification issue was to do with changing wheel sizes etc.. but apparently not, it is the fitting of snow tyres that is classed as the modification. I know it is absolutely bonkers but that is how it is being viewed by certain insurers, even the AA are warning of the problem.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/news/winter-tyres-make-sense-in-uk.html

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 07:58:10 GMT

Seems like the powers that be have no idea what a winter tyre is!

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 06:06:10 GMT

Just come across a BBC story on this.

** Insurers 'charge for snow tyres' **
Some motorists who fit winter tyres to their car to cope with snowy conditions are being charged higher insurance premiums, it is claimed.
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11969958 >

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 08:34:02 GMT

Update - Just watched a BBC news bulletin and apparently all of the major insurers have confirmed that people shouldn't be charged extra for using winter tyres. They (the insurers) have said that anybody who is should contact their Head Office direct to notify them.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, it would sound like they were ill prepared for the surge in interest in winter tyres this year, and hadn't issued anything to staff to clarify how they should deal with queries.

If I were cynical, I'd say that it suited them to let things roll until the profile of the issue was raised.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:49:11 GMT

EmmaEvs wrote:Update - Just watched a BBC news bulletin and apparently all of the major insurers have confirmed that people shouldn't be charged extra for using winter tyres. They (the insurers) have said that anybody who is should contact their Head Office direct to notify them.
.

common sense finally prevails.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:54:59 GMT

Typical. Government and senior people in business being ignorant to the facts and trying to make a profit out of it.
Viva la revolution.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 14:46:13 GMT

Hi All,

I have just arrived back from BsM after a weeks R&R and must admit I do not understand why in this country during say mid November to the end of February winter/snow tyres are not made a legal requirement.

A normal tyre used on mosr cars , vans etc once the temperature falls below 7 degrees C starts to harden up and lose it's traction, winter/snow tyres with their higher silica( think thats correct) content remain more flexible and keep gripping down to -15 degrees C and below.

Also with the deeper tread , wider gullies and increased sipes give much more needed traction in cold , wet , icy , snowy conditions.....also research has shown in winter conditions a winter/snow tyre travelling at 30 mph will stop on average 11 metres quicker than a normal tyre travelling at 20 mph.

Buying a good make of winter tyre and concidering average distances travelled over a 3 - 4 month period , a set of winter/snow tyres should last for around 3 winters.

jon.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:54:08 GMT

Couldnt agree more, and I run winter tyres on my taxi and I made journey's last week I wouldnt have made without them.
But we only get a few weeks of extreme cold weather which makes them viable for most people, so I dont agree it should be legal. It isnt in France and they get much more extreme weather in many parts.
As for this ignorance from the government and insurance companies, wise up people.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 20:23:52 GMT

Hi Tony,

I agree , insurance companies will use any excuse to make more money....it does seem hypocritical to charge someone extra ( for a supposed modification ) when fitting winter/snow tyres will increase the safety of the insured vehicle, and hopefully reduce the risk and therefore the need to make a claim.

If I rang my insurer and asked " do you class fitting winter/snow tyres , a modification and charge extra for it ".....if the reply was " Yes " the next words out of my mouth would be " **ck you then I want to cancel my policy right now ".

Jon.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 23:25:00 GMT

I know, but they'd probably make a charge for you doing that!!!

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:14:34 GMT

I am wondering if, at the root of all this stramash, is a statement made by the Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, to the effect that the use of winter tyres was "not appropriate". He intimated that winter tyres would damage roads, and cause potholes. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our transport minister!
It is suspected that he was confusing winter and studded tyres.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 02:25:41 GMT

Dave Mac wrote:I am wondering if, at the root of all this stramash, is a statement made by the Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, to the effect that the use of winter tyres was "not appropriate". He intimated that winter tyres would damage roads, and cause potholes. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our transport minister!
It is suspected that he was confusing winter and studded tyres.

The old school tie is much more important than knowing what the &*%# you are talking about. That was what made Obama so different, actually appointing the best people for the job, whatever their political persuasion.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 14:15:01 GMT

Dave Mac wrote:I am wondering if, at the root of all this stramash, is a statement made by the Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, to the effect that the use of winter tyres was "not appropriate". He intimated that winter tyres would damage roads, and cause potholes. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our transport minister!
It is suspected that he was confusing winter and studded tyres.

My bet is that he doesnt even know what either are, and had been told what studded tyres were, and shot from the hip before engaging his brain. Unusual that for a politician.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:46:45 GMT

Quick question...

Is there a downside to changing to winter tyres in the UK? There's no doubt that they're an advantage in snow or ice, but this would only apply for a portion of the winter season. Would the times when the roads are clear wreck the tyres before the end of the season? Or, are our winter temps sufficiently low anyway to keep the tyres within their 'comfort zone'?

Interested in your thoughts...

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:00:33 GMT

Emma
I run Verdestein Wrintrax Extreme winter tyres on our vehicle which is a VW Passat AW drive estate. I leave the tyres on all year round & usually get 28000+ miles from each set of tyres. I have never experienced & adverse effects when driving in summer. Go as far as to say during the very heavy deluged rain we seem to experience in summer the tyres were excellent.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:08:09 GMT

Wow, thanks Finn. I wasn't expecting them to be that good at adapting to different temperatures. On saying that my only reference point for different tyre grades is watching motorbike racing, where their wet tyres degrade within a lap or two if it turns out to be dry. A little extreme perhaps! :)

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:27:25 GMT

EmmaEvs wrote:are our winter temps sufficiently low anyway to keep the tyres within their 'comfort zone'?

In a word, yes.

As Finn has said, modern winter tyres are pretty good in all but the hottest of UK weather - and they have a grip (braking) advantage over summer tyres that starts around 7 degrees C.

In cold, wet weather winter tyres work much better than summer ones. On snow the difference is huge.

AutoExpress had a group test last month of a bunch of winter tyres, and they included a summer tyre to compare. One of the tests was braking from 25mph on packed snow - the winter tyres stopped in around 19 metres; summer tyres took over 40m IIRC. That's five car lengths difference from just 25mph. :shock:

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:44:39 GMT

Thanks Admin.

Hmmm... it's looking like there are no downsides really...

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:50:56 GMT

Finn,
Where did you get your winter tyres? I usually buy my normal tyres from ATS and pay about GBP50 per tyre. I do somewhere around 30,000 -50,000 miles on each tyre, depending on where it is on the car and whether I get a puncture or not.

Out of curiosity, I phoned ATS up just now, and they wanted GBP125 for Michelin winter tyres for my car. This seems rather excessive to me :shock:

I was very surprised to read that winter tyres are better at gripping than summer ones at temperatures below 7 degress C even on a dry road, and especially good on wet ones (never mind on snow!).

http://www.atseuromaster.co.uk/retail-customers-cold-weather-tyres.htm

Ally

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:12:55 GMT

Ally, my next thought was to wonder whether tyre suppliers would take advantage of the surge in demand and raise the prices. You've just answered that for me. I don't believe that they are more expensive for them to buy, as I'm sure I've read somewhere that they are also being sold (elsewhere) at minimal extra cost to the consumer. Gits.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:31:43 GMT

I've got the Michelins (Pilot Alpine PA3) on my car and to be honest I am not happy with them on snow and ice. They are great for normal driving and even more fuel efficient them my summer tyres!!! But, for snow I've driven better.

It's a trade off, if you don't drive on snow/ice that often they will be perfect and they will for sure get you out of trouble. But living at 750m altitude in Switzerland plus a minimum of two trips to higher altitudes a week they will be replaced with something different when the time comes.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:32:21 GMT

Check out mytyres if you are thinking of buying winter tyres, they give test results ie noise grip wear, and a competive price, which you can use as a benchmark.I had winter tyres fitted on our Audi by a mobile fitter far more competitive than any garage . Left them on all year no problems.
Goff

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:50:02 GMT

I had a set of 4 17 inch tyres fitted to my Seat Alhambra in November, when the standard tyres reached the end of the line. I enquired locally at the best regarded tyre company (not a UK dealer, but a local one who has been around for a long time and gets the best deals and availability) and they struggled to find any back then, mainly because I was told that the majority in the UK are bought up by the Polish immigrants who use them on their cars out of habit and legal requirements for driving back home.
I was also told that a batch of winter tyres is manufactured and distributed for the UK market, and no more are made. Therefore, when they're gone, they're gone. This is because historically we do not buy winter tyres over here.
However, manufacturers and dealers are now seeing an increased demand as road users finally become more aware and in tune with our European neighbours.

I was offered a Pirelli at GBP140 or a economy brand at GBP65. It was a no brainer. However, if you are buying premium brands like Michelin, expect to pay top dollar for any tyre generally. Do some research on the net at tyre websites, read reviews, and make an informed decision. I ran Sunew standard tyres from April to November, they handled excellently on the Alhambra, and I got 42000 miles out of them in that space of time. A friend of mine has Pirelli on his, and got 15,000 miles out of them - softer compound!

My winter tyres are made by Infinity and are called Inf-049 Winter Hero. In the past few weeks, I was able to drive on roads covered in snow and ice, where others were simply unable to get traction. It does not mean they will get by on anything, but the improvement was immense, especially when I got back in the wifes Golf GTI and found myself sliding all over the place on the same roads! The key issue with winter tyres is the softer compound and the increased water dispersement through the tread. They come into their own at temps of 7c and lower, and I have to say that in the wet, the seem to have an advantage in cornering and stopping over standard tyres. However, when temps rise and roads are dry, they have no advantage and will wear out faster. Therefore, I intend to change them back to summer tyres in March as they will most definitely not do the mileage that my Sunew tyres did this year: this was confirmed by the dealer. However, if it means I can work all winter long without any issues and get the mileage out of them up to that time, I will be more than happy.

One thing I have noticed, when temps are higher, is that the handling of the car seems to be affected. Its different on different cars, but with the Alhambra being larger than average and quite top heavy, I was getting the effect of the vehicle "swinging" more into corners, and had to back off the usual speeds I was used to doing on familiar roads. Again, according to the dealer this is normal, and drivers should be adjusting their driving style accordingly with winter tyres on I was told. I believe this basically means "don't drive as fast"!!!

Time will tell how mine hold up this winter, I will update on wear and usage if people find it useful?

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:19:29 GMT

Thanks everyone, especially Tony (that was a real essay!) :D

Our weather forecast says heavy snow for Thursday and Saturday night and I'm getting a bit fed up with this, so I am seriously considering buying some winter tyres. Getting around on our hills and bendy single track roads on snow and ice is really quite difficult.

I looked at Mytyres.co.uk and they wanted GBP131 for Michelin winter tyres, and about GBP100 for cheaper makes. AND, they don't fit them, they post them, so you have to either fit them yourself (which is a dreadful job) or pay a garage and our local one wants GBP12-GBP15 per tyre for this. It looks like Tony had a real bargain with his winter tyres.

I also had a look to see how much spare wheels for my car would cost, and they're about GBP60 each. So, either changing the tyres over twice a year or keeping a separate set of wheels, works out quite expensive.

If I paid GBP100 per winter tyre, and bought new wheels to put them on, it would cost me about GBP640.

Ally

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:54:32 GMT

Ally, you're not getting a good deal there at all, although I don't know what kind of car you drive and therefore what size wheels you have.

You should expect to pay around GBP80-GBP100 for an average branded tyre for an average vehicle (and I have had Golfs, Audi A4s, Seat Leon's, etc to compare).

I also looked at the possibility of buying a set of new wheels (alloys) with fitted winter tyres and this was coming in at around GBP450-GBP500, which bearing in mind you pay around GBP350-GBP400 for a new set of alloys is a steal. Ebay may be a good place to start looking.
Fitting tyres yourself is a no no, so buying wheels with tyres fitted is a god idea, but you'll need to pay GBP16 to have them balanced.

I found the best deals simply by using google to search for alloys with winter tyres fitted.

Hope this helps.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:55:21 GMT

Oh and Ally, for what you are talking about in terms of bad conditions, hills, ice, etc I think you'd be well advised to invest in some cheap snowchains off ebay.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:05:13 GMT

Time will tell how mine hold up this winter, I will update on wear and usage if people find it useful?

If you have time Tony I'd be interested in how they get on.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:16:17 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Ally, you're not getting a good deal there at all, although I don't know what kind of car you drive and therefore what size wheels you have.

Its a tractor. :shock:

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:16:18 GMT

Tony,
Normally we have a very mild climate here, with only a few days of frost and a couple of snowflakes during the winter so we don't usually have a problem. But you are quite right and I am thinking of getting some snow chains for the really extreme weather we've been having over the last couple of years. January I couldn't drive up or down our road for about a week in the snow and my daughter had to stay in town with friends to be sure of getting in to school to sit her January modular AS exams. She will be sitting her A2 modules this January and I don't want that worry again.

I would like to have the winter tyres for the increase in grip in cold wet/icy weather and I'd just put them on in the autumn and forget about them until late Spring. I suppose it means my normal tyres would last twice as long because they'd only be getting half the mileage.

Brooksy,
My husband drives the tractor - I drive a very small and cheap Daihatsu Sirion which manages very successfully to carry washing machines, tenant's rubbish etc. and loads of kids around the place (oh yes, and an 8 foot Christmas tree!).

Emma,
I will pm you for prices on wheels.

Ally

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 22:05:56 GMT

Every year the Austrian, German, & Swiss Automobile Associations (OAMTC, ADAC and TCS) conduct tests on winter tires in Ulrichen a very cold (-30oC) snowy village in the Goms district of Valais. You can read the report here: http://issuu.com/touring_online/docs/infotechtcs_winterreifen2009_de unfortunately its only available in German, French and Italian, but there are lots of tables so you should still be able to see which tyres are recommended and more importantly which ones are not.

AllyG. if your Sirion is fitted with 175/65R14 tyres then Vredestein Snowtrac 3 would be a good choice, they are normally available from Camskill for GBP41.50. but they don't have any in stock at the moment. This could be due to a recent change to the law in Germany which requires cars to be fitted with tyres appropriate for the driving conditions.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 22:45:51 GMT

Thanks SwingBeep :D

GBP41-50 sounds much cheaper than the prices I've been looking at. You are quite right, my tyre size is indeed 175/65R14. I currently have the Kleber Dynaxer HP2 tyres on all 4 wheels, and I have no complaints with them.

How do you buy tyres from Camskill - do they post them or what?

Maybe I can order some winter tyres even if I can't get any right now.

Ally

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:04:16 GMT

Problem is, Ally, too many people are reactive rather than proactive. You need to have got your winter tyres by this time of year it seems. I hope you can find some somewhere. Kwikfit were advertising them on a big poster campaign outside their stores this week.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:59:57 GMT

Camskill Performance & Tyres http://camskill.co.uk/index.php is an online mail order supplier of Japanese car parts and tyres in Whitehaven Cumbria. The 175/65R14 Snowtrac 3 is listed here: http://camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m11b0s712p15151 As they have a good price performance ratio they are popular and sell out quite quickly.

As Tony_H says you've left it a bit late for this winter, I wouldn't expect the Camskill to be able to get anymore before the end of January.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:52:59 GMT

SwingBeep,
Thanks, I am trying to buy those Vredestein Snowtrac3 tyres from another company, and I have also bought some snowchains which will hopefully be delivered in the next few days (my Christmas present to myself so don't ask how much they cost!).

Now that I've bought chains we probably won't have any snow ever again, but at least if we do I will be prepared this time :D

Ally

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 19:00:01 GMT

Ally. I'd be interested to know what you bought, from where, and what you paid for them. And more importantly how they handle in the snow. Please.

Re:Contact your car insurer if you are thinking about fitting winter tyres!

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 22:27:23 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Ally. I'd be interested to know what you bought, from where, and what you paid for them. And more importantly how they handle in the snow. Please.

Tony,
I have bought snowchains from snowchains.co.uk but unfortunately I will have to wait 3 working days to get them, which is a pity as I now have 1 1/2 inches of snow outside the door and possibly more to come tonight!

The tyre people were supposed to ring me back when they'd sourced me some suitable winter tyres but they didn't, so either they couldn't find any or they were swamped by other callers.

Funnily enough, I checked my local Daihatsu dealers, who service my car, to make sure the snowchains would fit okay, and the guy who answered the phone had never heard of winter tyres :shock:

If I get my snow chains and I have a chance to practice with them I will let you know how I get on. I don't want to tell you what they cost because I'm rather embarassed about the fact that the salesman persuaded me out of the cheap ones and I've bought some more expensive ones that are easier to put on and keep their tension (or something like that). I was just fed up by that time and decided to buy them before I spent the rest of my life on the phone. Halfords didn't have any in stock within at least a 45 mile radius of where I live.

Ally