1er: Less power, high and slim tyres, easier on no-traction surfaces. Identical 6er: Moar power, more heft, wider tyres [255 by 18's, at least], blatant rubbishness on a rink. Horribly biased? Yes. However it does show us the fundamental benefits of an appropriate [If not adequate] set of rubbers. This comparison definitely wasn’t as beneficial sans a proper set of snow radials, but does give entertaining approaches on how to start up on a slippery tarmac with rear-wheel-drive, Deutsch frolicsomes.
I do miss the olden decades when all-season tyres weren’t the riskless norm and everyone switched from summer to winter quads when the climate turned frigid. When does that astute mindset return to the masses?
Simple factoidal: Most of the general public have absolutely no idea how hard they are on their vehicles; therefore, following a maintenance schedule is moot point under this “happy-nonchalantly-go-driving” mindset.
According to a recent AAA poll, a sad 6% of vehicle-owners have done most of their driving under severe conditions. Subsequently, 62% said they operated and/or created severe conditions in their vehicles.
Common behaviours the AAA considers to be “severe” include, but are not limited to:
-Driving on short trips of less than five miles in normal temperatures, or less than 10 miles in freezing temperatures.
-Driving in stop-and-go traffic in hot weather.
-Driving at speeds of less than 50 mph for long distances.
-Driving on roads that are dusty or muddy or have salt, sand or gravel spread on the surface.
-Towing a trailer or transporting items on a roof rack or in a cartop carrier.
Though carmakers have very different opinions on how to maintain their products for the inclement season, the AAA urges all to change their car’s filters and fluids and to inspect their components more often than usual. Under this obliviousness, it is highly crucial to take an honest account of your daily habits behind the wheel, learn what it is that your vehicle’s manufacturer considers “severe conditions,” and schedule your maintenance from there.
Light-emitting diodes, very, very cool… Especially in winter season when snow blankets the contraptions and leaves drivers asking where that fat man is with that handheld sign & chrome whistle. They may save the guv’men a cool 90% energy savings, but the accidents they cause aren’t so hot. Does that 90% really go back to the community or does it feed a vicious circle by paying more workers to clean up the ice from these suspended devices? Until “weather shields” or “heating elements” become more reliable and cost-effective, let’s hope there’s someone out there w/ a magnifying glass looking up a solution to this predicament.
