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Cold weather tyres can help you keep sales staff on the road
Do you remember last winter? There was business misery thanks to the deep snow that brought much of UK business to a halt as Britain struggled to get to work, or slid crunchingly into another vehicle, writes Ralph Morton from Business Car Manager.
The cost of the severe weather disruption to business was estimated at anywhere up to £14.5 billion.
The Federation of Small Businesses reported that one in seven employees failed to make it into work; four in 10 (40%) said the snow-covered roads led to a disruption of business services and goods; three in 10 (29%) saw a loss of growth and demand; 18% lost access to business premises; and 11% had to close completely.
However, SMEs can start planning now avoid that disruption by having key sales staff, or employees requiring essential mobility, to have snow tyres fitted to their cars or vans.
Snow tyres – sometimes called cold weather tyres – are ideal for rain, low temperatures, ice and snow and are in common use on the continent.
Winter tyres offer substantial improvements to both grip and braking from temperatures below +7°C, thanks to different rubber compounds and tread patterns that have special 'biting edges', which provide substantially more traction than traditional 'summer' tyres.
Many car makers, such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, are now offering their customers winter tyre programmes, while companies such as Kwik-Fit Fleet and
However, now is the time to take action to ensure staff have the correct tyres fitted in time for late autumn and early winter.
For further information on the benefits of winter tyres, visit the tyresafe website.
Author Ralph Morton is editor & publisher of Business Car Manager magazine (www.businesscarmanager.co.uk). He was named Business Writer of the Year in the Guild of Motoring Writers Awards and can be contacted at editor@businesscarmanager.co.uk
Comments
Bought winter tyres
The high street chains don't seem to be very helpful, so I ordered some online through mytyres.co.uk which was far better in terms of both price and availability.
They were delivered quickly and the local tyre-shop fitted them for £40 for four.
Winter tyres are brilliant!
Smug? You betcha! Traffic levels round here are reduced by 90% & the only traffic seems to be off-roaders and suicidal delivery drivers! Plus me, in a simple front wheel drive Ford hatchback. You have to stay sensible, of course, but winter tyres have proven a very worthwhile investment.
Rip-off insurers!
Pay extra for using winter tyres? As thousands of responsible British motorists fit winter tyres to their cars, they are finding some insurers are loading their premiums by as much as 20%.
"This is plainly either brain dead, or ruthless profiteering," says the Daily Telegraph's motoring columnist, Honest John. "Winter Tyres are a legal requirement in Austria from November to March and must be fitted in Germany whenever snow is on the ground.
"This seems to me to be yet another way in which the Private Equity Firms that now own many car insurers and brokers are exploiting the compulsory legal requirement for drivers to have insurance and to disclose any 'modifications' to their cars."
I phoned my insurance company. It took 25 minutes to confirm they wouldn't charge extra for this 'modification' and were asking all sorts of stupid questions such as "does his mean you are planning to go off-roading?" Winter tyres are meant to help you stay safely on the road, for goodness' sake!
Winter driving
It's also useful to know how to drive on snow. I'm no expert driver, but as a skier, I often drive on snow and have managed to avoid accidents.
This is what I've learned that works:
Starting in as high a gear as you can help to get going without wheel spin digging you in and polishing the surface (spare bits of carpet and a shovel are handy if that happens), as are boots to help you stay upright.
Dipping the clutch pedal as you start to slide takes the drive off the wheels allowing you to regain control fast.
Looking well ahead and anticipating.
Dipping headlights when the snow is falling thickly at night.
Resisting the urge to overtake if you're in a moving lane and the outside lane has more snow than the lane you're in - if you spin, you'll gum you and everyone else up, especially if the snow is drifting fast.
Take a candle & the means to light it. Got this from a Canadian - one lit candle keeps the interior temp of a hatchback above freezing. In that situation, blankets, hot drinks, a wee bucket (pun intended) tissues & muesli bars will be incredibly welcome as it can take hours more than you imagine to get going again.