Winter Tyres

[nippysweeties]

Hi there,

I am hoping to get Winter tyres this year (planning plenty snow-bound adventures!), but am a little concerned about the legalities. I have confirmed my insurance is invalid if I have a tyre rated lower than W, but there are no Winter tyres rated that high - unsurprisingly!

Direct Line have told me to check for a manufacturers Winter tyre rating and if that exists they are happy. Does anyone know anything about this? I am about to check my handbook and will phone a Scooby garage tomorrow, but I figured it's worth a question on here too.

The SIDC site search reveals nothing, so I guess I'm the first person to ask about this?!

Cheers,

Steve.

[nippysweeties]

  nippySweeties said:

Hi there,

I am hoping to get Winter tyres this year (planning plenty snow-bound adventures!), but am a little concerned about the legalities. I have confirmed my insurance is invalid if I have a tyre rated lower than W, but there are no Winter tyres rated that high - unsurprisingly!

Direct Line have told me to check for a manufacturers Winter tyre rating and if that exists they are happy. Does anyone know anything about this? I am about to check my handbook and will phone a Scooby garage tomorrow, but I figured it's worth a question on here too.

The SIDC site search reveals nothing, so I guess I'm the first person to ask about this?!

Cheers,

Steve.

Turns out I've answered my own question!

From the 2006 onwards Impreza manual:

Winter tyres should be Q, T or H rated and must have equal or greater load index.

From Direct Line:

They will annotate my policy to state the car has Winter tyres (there is no actual policy regarding Winter tyres ... Yet!).

So that's all goody for me and it's a little more information for anyone else considering this option. Surely I'm not the only one around here that enjoys Winter pursuits in remote places?

Steve

[johns]

I have been running H rated winter tyres for the past 4 years on my Imprezas

[thefastone]

To be honest, its not a question that I even considered when I fitted them to my car, whether the insurance would cover me... as tyres are consumable items, they are not going to class it as a mod...?

Ive not run winter tyres for the last year and a half now, as I recall I couldn't get them in the right size...? but they are good...

[nippysweeties]

So I'm not alone!

This will be the first time I've ever bothered with Winter tyres mind you. I hope to get out a lot (camera in boot) this Winter.

I know that car insurance is void if you have tyres of a lower speed rating than factory fitted, as is the case with Winter tyres. It seemed odd that I could make my car safer in the Winter, but be penalised on my insurance!

Anyhoo, it's all sorted and I am a happy bunny about to be £500 skinter!

What tyres have you guys used? The Michelin Primacy Alpin seem to get good a good write up, but I was also considering Vredestein.

@thefastone: The Michelin is available in pretty mental sizes so you might find the right size for you.

Cheers,

Steve.

Edited December 30, 2008 by nippySweeties

[thefastone]

Was michelins I was running, but I'm on a different wheel... to be honest, I'm not that bothered... there probably was the right size for me... but I probably didn't look hard enough...