Winter Tires ?

Go to

and check them out.

I thought they were Nokia tires, but be that as it may, IIRC they are Finnish tires,and they got good reports in Norway where I lived.

We could use all season tires, but I was never a fan of them.

Bob wrote in news:i7do6q$7rn$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:

Anything with a major brand-name, and branded as an ice tire, will be just fine.

If your kid is trying to make technology do what he can't do himself, he's doing entirely the wrong thing. The very best "ice tire" of all is inside his own head.

Having said that...if it says "Nokian" on it, it's a pretty safe bet.

Hakkepellita.

--scott

DO NOT get Hankook Winter iPikes! They are only fair in snow, and SUCK on ice! It was supposed to be a competitor to the Bridgestone tire, but nowhere close.

GlacierGrips by I think, Mastercraft are a good snow tire and an adequate ice tire. If ice is really a problem (and we get a winter like we did in

2007, where it snowed and then rained...YUCK!) get studded tires. I have some Pacemark High Traction studded tires, and even with 5 winters on them they run good. Then again, that's on a Subaru... :) BTW, I'm out by Greenfield, and we didn't get that bad a winter out here last year, I think out past Worcester they actually got hit harder.

I am sure you will be able to make a decision on those tires with the research you are doing.

Being respectful of ice and snow is important, but if he is really "scared", then maybe he should spend some time on a skid pad if you can find one.

They are manditory in some countries. Just a thought

Empty parking lots on Sunday morning are a classic venue for a little refresher course. A lot of this is "knowledge in the hands" (and feet, and seat of the pants) rather than "knowledge in the head."

As mentioned by others, Tire Rack is a good resource -- in particular, about halfway down

you'll find background information on both tires and techniques for winter driving.

They also have consumer ratings

and their own test reports for the ones they carry. As one might expect, most of the dedicated winter tires that they have are pretty good, and certainly better than an all-season tire, though connoisseurs of the things have opinions about the various little tradeoffs.

A final thought: Take it easy, keep your situational awareness up, and leave plenty of distance between you and nearby cars so that you don't get caught up in each other's misfortunes. Not bad advice for any conditions, but especially good in the winter.

In case it all goes to pot anyway, have a good flashlight *in* the car where (a) it's relatively warm and (b) you can have it in your hand before you get out at night. And have some basic survival needs in the trunk, like an old winter coat, gloves, hat, etc.

And when a burst of particularly bad weather is forecast, remember that sometimes changing your plans until it blows over and the plows get through is well worth the inconvenience.